All The Lambs
by Arm's Armed Arms
Summary: Back stories of the main characters before they met. The SeeDs' childhood and the parents' reasons. Why they entered Garden, why they want to become a SeeD, and why they met each other.
1. The Lamb That Sleeps Within The Storm

**ALL THE LAMBS**

A Final Fantasy VIII Fanfiction

Written by: Arm

**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

The Lamb That Sleeps Within The Storm

The Lamb That Run Alongside The Spirits

The Lamb That Walks Toward The Sun

The Lamb That Dances Before The Winds

The Lamb That Smiles Upon The Moon

The Lamb That Leaps Over The Sky

The Shepherd That Lost The Lambs

The Princess That Caught A Lamb

**THE LAMB THAT SLEEPS WITHIN THE STORM**

Somehow, I get myself into entering this building. Whatever, I don't care. Let's just get this over with.

After browsing the lobby a little, I found the receptionist desk. There are already some children about my age standing in line in front of it. Looked like they are all new here also, like me.

"Oh, no! The line's this long already?" a voice of another kid heard loud, right behind me. I turned my face, seeing who just lined up after me.

A blonde kid with a weird tattoo engraved on his face.

"Damn! I should've woke up earlier! Um?" he realized that I looked at him, stopped his grumble and grinned at me. I just ignored him and returned my attention toward the line in front of me.

After around twenty minutes or so, I finally got my turn. I handed the lady behind the counter the paper I was holding. She received it with a smile and began reading it.

"Oh, so you're also applying to be a new student here? Your name is… Squall… Leonhart, right? Did I pronounce it correctly?" I just nodded.

"Where's your parents?" she looked around behind me. "Did you come here alone, Squall?" she asked again after seeing I didn't respond her earlier question. Again, I just replied her with a nod.

"Well then, Squall. Let me check your name first in the computer."

She started typing in the computer and nodding a few times. A printer sound heard a few seconds after. She took out the printed paper along with a small book and a set of keys from the shelf behind her before standing back up again and smiled once more to me.

"Yes, we have your name registered here, Squall. Everything is confirmed and you may use the dormitory immediately. This is your confirmation letter, the rules book and the key to your room and locker. Your uniform has been prepared in the room along with your student ID card and other Garden needs. The school's starting by Monday, so please memorize all the rules by then."

She explained and handed the things to me. I just nodded again while receiving it and left the desk.

"Squall, wait!" she called me before I can get anywhere.

I turned my head to her.

"Don't you wanna ask me about where the dormitory is?" she showed another smile.

I pointed an electronic map in the middle of the lobby. "I can read that building map to know how to go to the dormitory," I replied her then began walking again toward it.

"That kid!" I can hear her complained my attitude. But I don't care.

I read the map carefully. It's a big building, there are a lot of places to remember. But it's nothing that I can't handle.

Suddenly I heard steps coming toward me. The blonde kid that was previously right behind me.

"Hi, mind if I read that too? That nice lady have told me where the dormitory is but I wanted to know where the gym and the library too!" he said, placing himself next to me and started to read the map too.

Again, I just ignored him and began to walk toward the left corridor.

"Ah, hay, wait! Can't we go there together?" he called me but I pretended not hearing it.

After walking some, I heard another steps followed me. That blonde kid came aftering me and then started to walk beside me at the same pace as I am.

"Hay, don't you get nervous?"

I ignored him again.

The corridor was long and wide. In the middle of this building was the elevator, the corridor was circling it and branching around its outer parts. Looking up, I saw more floors above me.

"I'm Zell. Zell Dincht. What's yer name?" he offered his hand to me, but I still ignored him.

"Ah, yer a quiet one, aren't ya?" he started to laugh a little and pulled his hand back. I entered a new corridor when I saw the dormitory sign right in front of me.

"Zell! Hay! Over here!" I heard another voice called the blonde kid. He replied him with another 'Hay' and left me to approach the voice.

Finally I can be left alone.

The entrance corridor to the dormitory is also a long one. It's an open walkway, I can see the middle yard clearly on my left and right. Lots of other students walking in and out of the dormitory. I saw the boys were wearing some blue-ish grey or grey-ish blue outfit, I don't really care about what color it was exactly, but I guess that's the uniform I'll be wearing.

At the dormitory's entrance, the corridor split in two. One to the left and one to the right. Both have a big door right in the middle that became the real entrance to the dormitory itself. There's a desk near each door with two students behind it. One of the male students from the left desk saw me. He got up and approached me.

"Hi, I see you haven't worn your student ID card so I guess you're new here?" he asked with a smile. I just nodded.

"I'm Taki, I'm one of the male dormitory coordinators. Can I see your confirmation letter please?" he asked again.

I handed him the letter I received earlier. He read it and nodded.

"Right, Squall. For your information," he pointed to the left corridor, "that is the male dorm and," this time he pointed the right corridor, "that one's the female dorm. Each dorm had two dorm coordinators watching over it and you will get penalties if you ever tried to enter the female dorm without permission. This rule is mentioned in the rules book with further details, so please read it carefully."

I actually can already tell which one's which just by seeing the coordinators in front of it. I mean, the male dorm must be guarded by males and the female dorm must be guarded by females. Anybody didn't notice that, must be too stupid.

But I'm not in the mood for talking right now, I simply nodded to his explanation.

"Since you're a student, you will share room with another student. You will get your own room once you become a full pledged SeeD. That was mentioned in the rules book in the additional info section."

Somebody make him stop! I can read the rules book and it's not a problem for me to memorize it all. I don't need him to read it for me!

"…so, that's all you need to know about the dormitory. Do you want me to show you where your room is, Squall?"

At last, he stopped! I shook my head and answered, "No, I can go by myself. Do you need that confirmation letter or can I have it back?"

He smiled and returned the confirmation letter, "No, I don't need it. Here you go, Squall."

I took the letter and left him toward the male dormitory. The other coordinator that still behind the desk smiled seeing me passing but I just ignored him.

"He got some attitude huh, Taki?" I heard him whispering to the coordinator that kept on talking to me.

"Hahaha, maybe he was just nervous, Lind! Don't worry, he'll make another great addition for this Garden!" the one named Taki was heard optimistic and didn't really care with my attitude at all.

But I still don't care.

The dormitory was also a big one. It's no wonder, since not only students lived here, but also the SeeDs. I read the number of my dorm room that was printed on the cover of my rules book. Searching a little, I can't find a number close to mine, so my room must be on one of the upper floors. I see that the upper floors of the dorm can be reached by stairs provided on each corner. On the second floor, I found a room with my number on it.

I used the key I got from the receptionist to open the door. Like Taki said, it's a double room. Fragmented to one living room right after the front door and two bedrooms that were side by side. This room's kinda small, but I don't care. I saw the right bedroom door didn't have a name on it yet, so I guess that was my bedroom. Before I can go, the left one opened. A boy who's around my age also.

"Oh, I know I heard someone entered! You're gonna be my roommate, huh?" he greeted me.

I kept on walking toward my bedroom, unlocked it, entered and locked it from the inside.

Putting my bag to the bed, I picked up from the desk a name sign with my name on it. I figured this one should be hanged on my bedroom. I'll do that later. I picked up the student ID card and pinned it to my shirt. I took the uniform that was on my bed and put it inside my closet. Since the Garden activities will start on Monday, I won't need it today. I placed all other belongings from my bag to their proper places before picking up the rules book and started reading it on my desk.

I finished half of the book when a knock heard on my door.

Opening the door, I saw my roommate standing outside my bedroom. "Hay, it's lunch time! Let's go grab something to eat at the cafeteria!" he offered.

I just closed the door back.

It's only eleven and I'm not hungry yet. I'll have my lunch around twelve and I don't need to be with him while eating it.

"Do you know that the hotdogs are the best here and you'll run out of it if you don't get in line early?" he shouted from outside of my door, still trying to persuade me.

He finally left after I kept ignoring him.

At ten past twelve, I decided to have lunch. I picked up the name sign and hang it on my bedroom door then locked it.

The cafeteria was just next to the dormitory. For conveniency I guess. Inside, a long line can be seen in front of the ordering desk. The blonde kid I met earlier was ordering his meal now.

"What's the best food here? Hotdog? Okay, I'll have that one then. What? Ya ran out of it already? It's only a quarter past twelve! It always ran out that fast? Oh well, I guess I'll have one cheeseburger n a chocolate pudding then."

He's still loud as before.

After receiving his order, he left the line but then noticed me and said, "Hi! Where's yer room? I'm on the second floor!" but I still ignored him. He looked disappointed but I don't care. He then left.

"So, what'll be?" the cafeteria lady asked when it's my turn.

I looked around the food and answered, "I'll have the curry."

"That's all?" she asked again.

"I can take everything else myself," I replied.

"Okay then," she shrugged and prepared my curry. After receiving it, I moved to my right and picked up an apple, a vanilla pudding and a carton of chocolate milk from the displays, moving them to my tray. Then I searched around the cafeteria for an empty table. Found one on the corner and sat myself there.

I must say that the food's delicious. I guess I can't complain anything about the meal.

"Hi, my name's Quistis. Wanna play some Triple triad?" I heard someone talked to me. I looked up and found a girl in uniform, about a year or two older, showing me a deck of cards.

"Triple triad?" I echoed her words.

She looked at me for a split second then smiled. "You didn't know about Triple Triad, huh? I'll challenge someone else then. Sorry!" she left after saying so.

About two tables in front of me, she asked the same question to another boy there. He nodded and they started to play.

It looked like it's some kind of card game.

I continued my eating and finished ten minutes later. Leaving the cafeteria, I saw the blonde kid played the card game also with that girl. I also saw more older students playing the same game. I guess it's a pretty popular game not only for the kids. But it doesn't matter anyway.

Just before exiting, a boy about my age who just got out of the line accidentally bumped into me. His tray fell, messing the floor with his foods.

He stared at me and the next second he grabbed my shirt.

"Watch where you're going!" he shouted.

I let go his hand from my shirt and replied, "You're the one who didn't see where you're going."

"What? So you want a fight, heh?" he started challenging me with a snob smile. A small crowd began to gather around us.

But then two of his friends showed up.

"Seifer, the older kids and the disciplinary committee are coming! Let's just stop it!" said the male one.

"You're saying I'm afraid of them, Raijin?" this time he grabbed the boy's shirt with an angry face. That friend of his looked scared seeing him. The boy that bumped into me was bigger than me yet the boy that was his friend was even bigger than him, but I guess size didn't count when it comes to strength.

"Instructor Aki said to see him at thirteen hundred hours," the female one's turn to speak.

He looked at the girl and then at me.

"You're lucky Fuujin's right. I haven't eaten since morning and now I gotta eat before seeing Instructor Aki," he grabbed my shirt again before continuing, "but next time, you won't get off this easy!" then let it go and returned to the line, chasing away all other kids in front of him and made the cafeteria lady upset a bit.

I don't care and just leave.

I'm thinking of browsing the building. Rather than just memorized the locations from a map, it's better to come see it yourself and remember it with your body.

From the dormitory, I went right to the cafeteria, so I guess I'll go counterclockwise from the dorm until I'm back to the dorm again.

To the right of cafeteria was the quad. It's pretty big and wide, but it's no surprise anymore. Everything in this building is big and wide, except for the students dorm room that is. Some students were hanging out by quad's small garden. Passed that was the stage area. I'm guessing that the quad will be one place I'll rarely visit. I hated crowd.

After the quad was the infirmary. A female doctor greeted me when I took a peek inside.

"Hello there, are you sick or hurt?" she asked. I shook my head and leave.

Once more I returned to the lobby and also the central gate where I entered the building previously. Just to the right of the lobby was the Library. I decided to enter to take a look around a bit. It had a pretty large number of books. Seemed the collections here were complete enough. When I left the library, once again the blonde kid passed by me and entered the library. He asked something to the librarian before running off to one of the shelves.

It looked like he mean it when he said he wanted to know where the library was.

Whatever.

Next to the library was the training center. A female student who's a lot older than me approached me before I can get anywhere.

"I'm sorry, but you can't enter here. It's too dangerous for you. You'll be allowed to enter once you got the proper training, but for now this is as far as you can go," she said, stopping me from advancing.

I just shrugged and left.

The last one to visit was the parking lot. But there's nothing of interest there. Some people with a different uniform than the one I'm going to use left the building on a car.

"Look, it's the SeeDs!" I overheard a talk between two girls.

"They left on a car, are they on a mission?"

"It looks like so. O, I'm going to be a SeeD too soon and ride one of those fancy cars!"

"Ahahaha, you're silly!"

So, that uniform was a SeeD uniform. The uniform I'll too be wearing soon. Some of those people that wore the SeeD uniform are teenagers. I hope I can be a SeeD that soon too.

I've visited all the places in the first floor. To my remembering, the second floor was where the classrooms were. I think I'll go there so I don't have to seek where my classroom is later.

At the elevator, I saw four floors to choose from. I decided to try pushing each. The basement floor was forbidden unless with permission from Headmaster Cid Kramer or if you're a SeeD member so it won't be pushed by me. The third floor was the Headmaster's office and I can't go there unless the Headmaster called me so it's another button I can't push. In the end, I can only pushed the second floor button.

There are a lot of classrooms, some laboratories, some training classes, and special classes rooms. All the classrooms are shut, but a couple of the labs' windows are open and I can see the inside for some. I got startled a bit when a flame showed up out of nowhere on a palm of a student. But he didn't get burnt. The flame was floating a little above his palm. An instructor talked to him and the flame grew bigger. She talked again and the fire's out. She smiled and patted the student who also smiled in happiness.

That was magic. This lab was for practicing and learning magic. Unconsciously I raised my right hand palm and copy his hand pose when doing that Fire magic. I too will learn how to use magic like that.

Moving on to the next lab, I saw another student seemed to be concentrating. Maybe she'll do another magic also. But suddenly she disappeared and at where she was standing previously a woman with white colors all over her body appeared. With an elegance move, she swayed her hand toward a target and the target turned to a mountain of ice. After, the white woman disappeared and the student returned. She looked happy seeing the iced target.

I don't know what that was, but it looked incredible. It looked like the Blizzard magic, yet it seemed to be stronger also. And I never saw anyone have to transform first before casting magic. Will I do that also? What was this lab for? I examined the sign on the lab's door and found a sentence of 'Guardian Force Lab' written on it. What's a 'Guardian Force'?

"Hei, hei, this isn't a beginner class," all of a sudden, someone grabbed my shoulder. An instructor.

"Who are you?" he looked at my student ID, "oh, you're one of those new students that just entered today. Well, this place is not for you until two or three years later, so go on now," he ordered.

I left the lab area quietly.

Moving toward a training class, I saw a few students combating each other with different weapons. Two instructors watching over them and told them some stuffs each time. There are a lot of weapons on display on the wall. I wonder which one I'll use later.

On one of the training class, the boy that bumped into me at the cafeteria and his two friends were talking to an instructor. They looked at the weapons on display and each one of them point at one of the weapons. The instructor smiled and they had a little chat while taking out the weapons. I'm guessing it's the first time they're allowed to use weapons. It seemed even though we're only a year or two difference, they weren't a newbie like me.

Since I already know where my classroom was, I'm done also at the second floor. On my way to the elevator, I noticed the girl that challenged me to that card game was entering one of the classrooms. She was too a senior.

I came back to the dorm in the late afternoon. Browsing a building this big does take a good amount of time. The elevator only took you to four floors, but each floor can take us to another section above or below that floor. With the height of every floor reaching over twenty meters each, no wonder Balamb Garden looked so high.

Today's Friday, which means I still have two more days. When I returned to my room, my roommate just entered his bedroom too. I don't know about him, but I know I'm pretty tired already. I decided to take a rest now and continue memorizing the rules book tomorrow.

My roommate called me again when it's dinner time but I'm too tired to eat, I ignored him again. After calling me a few times without any answer, he decided to go on eating on his own.

The next morning, I woke up around seven. After a short shower, I went out of the bedroom. My roommate was on the living room, reading a book.

"Oh hey, Squall!" he called me by name now. I figured he already read it from the sign I hanged on my door.

"Have you read the rules book? There were plentiful of them!" he said again.

I left him without replying and went to the cafeteria for breakfast.

Again, a long line formed on the ordering desk. Not only the students, some of the instructors can be seen also. Looked like a few instructors also lived in the dorm.

There are still two kids before me when a loud crashing sound heard from outside the Garden. The instructors and older cadets instantly got up from their table, looking out the window and ran outside when realizing what has happened.

I can't help to look out from the window also.

To my surprise, there's a huge machine attacking the Garden. Alongside it was a group of soldiers which I can't tell their origin. Instructors, cadets, and SeeDs appeared from all over the place to fight them.

"Get over here, it's dangerous!" a man dragged me away from the window. The students that's around my age were gathered in the middle of the cafeteria.

"Children, don't any of you move from here, understand?" that man said again. The children, but me, replied with a choir of "Yes, Sir". Just a few seconds later, two teams of fully armed cadets appeared and circled us. Guarding us from any possible threats.

"Any of you got hurt?" asked a female cadet.

A kid raised his hand up. He said when the crash sound heard, he fell and hurt his arm. The female cadet examined it and smiled.

"Don't worry, it's just a sprain. I'll heal it," she raised her hand up and said, "'Cure'!" and a white light came out from the female cadet's palm, circled the kid's arm for a second before vanishing. He then moved it a couple of times and smiled.

"Thank you, Senior! It doesn't hurt anymore!" he said. The female cadet smiled and asked around again if there's another one that hurt.

She just did a Cure magic. This whole chaos pretty much give me some advantages. I can see a magic using in person while it'll took another year until I can really practice it.

Taki, the dorm coordinator, showed up.

"Sasha!" he called the female cadet who used Cure magic.

"What's wrong, Taki?" she asked, approaching him.

"I ran out of Cure magic!"

"What? But my stocks are limited!" the female cadet replied.

The card game girl raised her hand, "Senior Taki, you can draw it from me!" she said.

"Quistis! Your inventory's full?" The card girl nodded.

"Okay, 'Draw'!" and a white light came out from the card girl and flew into the dorm coordinator. He repeated it for three times before stopping.

"Thanks, Quistis. This should be enough."

That dorm coordinator left the cafeteria to return to the dorm and the card girl was praised by the other seniors.

They just showed me how to do magic Draw. But I wondered, how come a girl that's around my age like her can already have some magics learnt?

"Hey, why don't ya let me fight also?" another voice heard from one of the kids. It was the blonde kid.

"You? Heh, you'll be beaten in a second! If there's anyone here that can fight, that's me!" his words were replied by the kid that bumped into me in the cafeteria.

"Zell, Seifer, stop! The both of you! Not any of you can fight yet so stay put and don't bother us!" the man that pulled me from the window snapped them, stopping their fight and making them sit back on the floor again.

About an hour long the fighting sound heard from outside the Garden. I can't see what happened outside, but when a cadet entered the cafeteria with a relieved look, I know the battle's over with victory on our side.

That showed me how strong Balamb Garden SeeDs were.

"Phew," the man that dragged me from the window blew a relieved breath. He looked at me and smiled.

"It's over now, kids. You can all return to your previous activities."

Standing up, he ordered us and the cadets. The cadets then gave him a salutation. Seeing the older cadets did that, made the young students, including me, do the same eventhough we don't know why.

"Thank you, Headmaster Cid!" said the older cadets all at once.

Headmaster Cid? Headmaster Cid Kramer? So he's our Headmaster? He… didn't look like one. I mean, he's… fat. I see that some of the other kids share my surprise.

"I'm sorry you have to be involved too, Sir," a SeeD showed up and gave a salutation to Headmaster Cid before saying the sentence.

Headmaster Cid laughed and patted the SeeD's shoulder, "Don't worry about it. This kind of thing can happen anytime and anywhere. It is also my duty to protect the children, not just yours."

The SeeD smiled and gave another salutation before excusing himself.

"Excuse me, we're from the Sanitation Committee. We are going to sanitize the cafeteria, so please move from this area immediately."

A group of cadets showed up. The cafeteria lady followed them.

"Children, if there's any of you that haven't eaten yet, you can take some bread we have prepared on your way out. Be in line and be patience please," the cafeteria lady announced.

I took a curry bread, a coconut bread and a carton of vanilla milk from the cafeteria lady. Not exactly the breakfast I want, but at least I can see a lot of things this early in the morning.

"Zell, it's not polite to eat while walking! Can't you wait after you arrived at your dorm?" the card girl yelled the blonde kid who's busy munching on a bread. But he just grinned and ran off from her.

"Why do you hafta acted so old like that? You're just my age, Quistis!" the kid that bumped me pushed the card girl's back.

She turned around to him angrily, "Then why do you have to acted so childish like that, Seifer? You're older than the new kids here!"

"You want a piece of me, Quistis?"

Their fight was stopped by a Disciplinary Committee member who break them up and warn them of penalty.

I just left the scene. Why should I care.

"Hay Squall, where have you been? I was here all the time so I don't know what happened outside but the coordinators told us to stay in our room. I haven't eaten yet, I wonder if the cafeteria's fine…."

"You better go there quickly. There are still some breads."

Halfheartedly, I replied him.

He looked shocked, saying, "Really? Oh man, I gotta go there fast!" and ran off out of the room.

I wondered why I told him that.

But whatever.

The rest of the day was done by helping to clean up or rebuild places and items that were broken or destroyed during the morning battle. Even Headmaster Cid helped us too. Not everything can be done in a day work, but at least it's better than let the debris and ruins scattered everywhere.

"We're lucky no monsters breaking in," I heard a cadet said so.

"Yeah. Fighting that machine and those soldiers are already a pain. If the monsters outside Garden also managed to enter, we might have facing more than just cleaning up."

I actually regretted there's no monster entered. I wanted to see how the cadets and the SeeD would handle monsters.

"Zell, you can really fight a little, can't you?" the card girl's voice heard. That blonde kid was busy sweeping the dusts when he heard the girl.

"Of course! I'm the grandson of the world's number one wrestler!" he exclaimed.

"I can tell from your tattoo!" the girl said again, "Since I read it from a book that only a wrestler with high skills can have that tattoo."

The blonde kid looked surprised yet happy hearing it, "Ya knew about it, huh? I'm not officially high skilled yet, but I will! That's what I promised grandpa when he gave me this tattoo!"

So the tattoo wasn't just a make up or for showing off.

Right now, I questioned myself of why I even bothered to hearing them.

"You! Move it!" I heard somebody yelled at me from behind. I stopped from picking up the small ruins and turned around.

The kid that bumped into me the other day and his two friends were carrying a big ruin. Carrying it toward my direction.

"Why are you carrying it here? Senior Nobu said big ruins are to be collected on the front gate over there," I replied, without looking at him and continuing collecting the small ruins and throwing them inside a garbage can.

"Why you! -"

"Seifer, Fuujin, Raijin, put that big one over here! Not over there!" a yell stopped him from dealing another trouble toward me. I can hear him complaining before moving to the other direction.

It looked like I'll have to deal with that kid a lot more than I wanted to.

As expected, everything can't be done on a single Saturday. The work was stopped when lunch time came and all cadets ordered to return to their normal activities. The rest will be handled by the Sanitation Committee.

The cafeteria has fully recovered now. A long line formed just as the previous as if nothing ever happened.

"Oh man, I'm running out of Gils!" a SeeD complained. He and his female friend were at the vending machine that was next to the ordering desk.

"What did you do with your last salary?"

"I have to upgrade my weapon but I can't get any item for it from the monsters I've fought so I have to bought them instead."

The female SeeD chuckled, "No wonder. You got a hard mission, huh?"

"Yeah. If I don't upgrade my tonfa to a better one, I might gonna have a hard time fighting the enemies."

"Don't worry, you'll get your next salary soon. This cola's on me, okay?" she patted the male SeeD's shoulder and they move on.

I wished they would mention how much a SeeD earned.

On one of the pillars, the card girl seemed to be surrounded by a quite number of other kids. I guess she was popular enough. Maybe because of what she did this morning.

After getting my lunch, it turned out that there's no empty table where I can sit alone. Too bad. I put the tray and its contents on the tray collecting desk and picked up just the milk carton.

"Wait, why didn't you finish your meal?" one of the cafeteria lady asked me when she saw my full tray.

I shook my head and answered, "It's too crowded. I hate crowd."

Sipping my milk, I returned to my dorm room. Luckily, my roommate isn't around so at least I won't get bothered for now.

I finished the rest of the day by memorizing all the contents of the rules book. At dinner time I can eat properly, thanks to the empty cafeteria. Looked like everyone went to bed early, tired of the works done today.

That night, I can sleep without anymore disturbance.

When I went out for breakfast on Sunday morning, I can saw how the busyness of Balamb Garden was different from the previous days I've been here.

All the new kids can be seen in every part of the Garden. Some was busy with the rules book, another was busy interviewing their seniors about life in Garden, library's crowded with children that were searching more info about Garden, and more. Last minutes preparations it seemed.

I'm just glad the cafeteria wasn't as full as usual. The line wasn't too long and there are empty tables for me to sit by myself. While eating, I realized that the restoration of the Garden was done almost completely. The older cadets seemed to be fast and effective doing those kinds of stuffs.

Meaning that a battle like the one happened yesterday was something to be expected any time. Risk of being a Garden cadet. I have to memorize that too.

Returning to my room, my roommate was ironing his uniform on an ironing table in the corner of the living room. I didn't know he brought his own iron along with the table, but it was a good idea to have your uniform ironed.

"Hay Squall, have you ironed your uniform?" just before saying I wanted to borrow the iron, he asked me that. I answered by shaking my head.

"Oh, well then, I'll be over a couple of minutes, wanna borrow mine?" he asked again with a big grin on his face.

I looked at him for a couple of seconds, and then nodded.

"Okay, you just get your uniform ready then," he told me.

I moved to my room and get my uniform out from the closet.

"Don't forget to bring out the hanger too, Squall!" he yelled from outside.

Of course I won't forget it. I want to yell back at him with those words, but I'm too lazy to bother myself to do so. When I came out of my bedroom, his uniform's all ironed. He showed it to me with a proud face.

"What do you think? Neat, huh? Mom told me how to do it properly so you won't burn your clothes, and your hand too that is. Wanna know the tricks, Squall?" he grinned again.

"No, I've ironed my clothes myself a couple of times, I already familiar with ironing," I replied in a lazy mood. He looked kinda disappointed hearing it, but he still pulled out a laugh.

"Ahahaha, is that so. I guess there's nothing you can't handle, huh Squall? Okay, this iron's all yours! Just leave it here when you're done."

He returned to his bedroom, singing Balamb Garden's anthem. It made me remember that I haven't memorized that song. Damn, I hate singing….

I finished ironing after fifteen or twenty minutes. Looking at the result, I must say that my roommate's uniform was ironed better than mine. I guess his mom told him some good tricks.

Once I've hang my uniform on the hanger on the wall of my bedroom, I returned to the living room to fold the ironing table and packed the iron back on its box. I knocked my roommate's bedroom door.

"Yeah, wassup Squall?" he asked after the door's opened.

I handed him the table and the iron. "Thanks."

He received them with a surprised look before grinning and replied, "No prob, roomie!"

Now I'm sorry I've bothered to say thanks to him.

But whatever, I was too busy thinking of memorizing the Balamb Garden's anthem, I don't wanna talk to him for too long.

I returned to my room, get the song lyrics out of my drawer, and spent the entire Sunday forcing myself to memorize the song. It's not hard for me to remember the lyrics, but to sing it….

Monday morning finally came.

Once more, I looked at the reflection of me wearing the Garden uniform in front of the mirror. I've pinned my student ID, I've brushed my hair, everything's set and I'm ready to go. After I'm sure of that, I went out.

My roommate was standing right in front of the door, back facing me and blocking my way to the door.

"What are you doing, standing there?" I asked, annoyed a bit.

He seemed startled. Turning his body to face me, now I can see that he's trembling a bit.

"Do-don't y-you fe-feel n-ne-nervous?" with a shaky voice he asked me.

I can't believe this kid.

"No. This is just an opening ceremony for the new education year. If you wannabe nervous, you should've once you sign in as a cadet here," I replied as necessary.

He shook his head, "No, actually, I was also nervous then. Now I'm nervous again."

I sighed.

"Look, do you or do you not want to be a Garden cadet?" I asked, kind of resisting my urge to knock him down to the floor and left him there.

My roommate looked at me with a strong face.

"Of course I wanted to be a cadet! I've always dreamt of becoming a SeeD!" his answer was firmed.

"Then you can be nervous when the SeeD Exam day finally comes. For now, just move yourself to the ceremony or you'll never get to that exam!"

Ordering him a little, I pushed him to the side and opened the door.

"Squall, wait!" he called before I left.

I ignored him and walked outside.

"But, Squall! O yeah, the dorm key! Squall, I forgot my key! I'll lock this door first! Squall, wait!"

I just don't care and leave.

He finally showed up in one of the lines of new students just five minutes after me. We're not in the same line so I thought I'll get some peace, until he kept on waving toward me and calling my name over and over, making everyone around us knew my name.

"What?" I finally answered him after getting annoyed.

That roommate of mine showed a big grin. "Thanks a lot!"

I just turned my face away.

At eight, the ceremony started.

I'm finally here. It's official now. I'm the cadet of Balamb Garden. I'm going to be graduated as a SeeD. I'll be a strong SeeD. I'll be stronger than anyone else here. I'll be the best SeeD ever.

That way, I won't need any help from any other SeeDs, or any other person in this whole wide world.

I'll be able to do everything on my own without any help from any one. I'll be alright by myself.

"I'll be alright alone, Sis. I'll be strong…."


	2. The Lamb That Run Alongside The Spirits

**ALL THE LAMBS**

A Final Fantasy VIII Fanfiction

Written by: Arm

November 2008

**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

The Lamb That Sleeps Within The Storm

The Lamb That Run Alongside The Spirits

The Lamb That Walks Toward The Sun

The Lamb That Dances Before The Winds

The Lamb That Smiles Upon The Moon

The Lamb That Leaps Over The Sky

The Shepherd That Lost The Lambs

The Princess That Caught A Lamb

**THE LAMB THAT RUN ALONGSIDE THE SPIRITS**

That day, a big old man showed up on the doorsteps.

Ma hugged him with a happy face and called him 'Pa'. But I know he's not my Pa.

Then Ma called me to come closer. Afraid a bit, I hid behind Ma. Seeing me, he moved toward me and squatted before me.

"Hi, Zell. Ya maybe didn't know me, but I'm yer grandpa," he said, smiling widely. He had a big heavy voice and big teeth too.

I looked at Ma. She just smiled and nodded.

"G… Grandpa?" I repeated his last word. Making sure.

Still smiling, he nodded and opened his arms wide.

"Yeah, Zell. I'm yer grandpa. C'mere 'n gimme a hug!" he said again.

His face showed warmth and eventho he had a big voice but it sounded so friendly. I think he's a nice man.

I started to smile and shyly moved toward him, opening my arms to give him a hug.

He laughed seeing the small me and caught me before I arrived at him. Lifted me up in the air a couple of times before hugged me in his big arms. It was so fun, I began to laugh.

"Wow, Grandpa, yer so big! I never met 'nyone as big as ya are!" I commented when he put me on his shoulder. He laughed again.

"That so? Well, ya'll be as big as I am when ya've grown up, Zell!" he said between his laugh.

My eyes started to sparkle.

"Will I, Grandpa?" I confirmed him.

"Abs'lutely!" I smiled happily hearing it.

Then I noticed something else about my Grandpa.

"What's this big scar on yer face, Grandpa?" pointing to a big mark on his cheek, I asked him.

Grandpa laughed again.

"It ain't a scar, Zell. It's the mark of a great fighter!"

"Fighter?" I echoed him.

Grandpa nodded. "Yea, it's a tattoo given only to the best fighter in the world!"

"Ya're the best fighter in the world, Grandpa?" I asked again in amazed.

"Ya damn rite I am!" Grandpa laughed more.

I looked at him with astonished eyes. My grandpa was a great man!

"Gee, grandpa, ya're awesome!"

He laughed hearing it.

"Don't ya wannabe a fighter like me, Zell?" suddenly Grandpa asked that.

I didn't reply him quickly.

"Zell's here got a gentle heart, Pa," Ma replied Grandpa's question.

"He hate fighting, huh?" smiling, Grandpa patted my head.

Ma smiled. A voice of a kid calling my name heard from outside of the door. Ma opened the door and one of my friend showed up at the door.

"Zell, let's play some ball!" he asked, showing the ball he's holding.

I looked at Ma and Grandpa.

Grandpa put me down and said, "Go on now, Zell!"

I looked at Ma and she nodded. I smiled to my friend and replied, "Okay, let's go!"

Putting on my shoes, I was preparing to leave when I heard Ma talking to Grandpa.

"Zell's a good boy?" asked Grandpa.

"He is, Pa." I'm glad Ma answered that.

"He cries a lot?" Grandpa asked again.

"No, only when the kids around here teased him coz he's small."

That time, Grandpa laughed a lil.

"Ya mind with that?" Grandpa asked Ma once more.

"Of course not, Pa. Only coz he sometimes cries didn't mean he's not a good boy. Other children his age still like to cries too sometimes. And eventho he's small, he still tried his best to help my chores around the house. He's my best kid, Pa. I'm proud of Zell just the way he is."

Grandpa laughed slightly again.

"D'ya mind with that, Pa?" this time Ma's the one asking.

"Nope. He's a good boy, just like ya say. I'm glad he's my grandson!"

I smiled to hear them.

"Leaving, Ma!" I said while exiting the house.

"Ya take care now, Zell!" Ma replied.

Me and my friend went to the harbor. Some more kids have waited there to play with us. Balamb's a small port town, the only spacious place to play ball was the harbor alone. Outside of the town was still full of monsters so we can't play there and we actually can't play in the harbor too if there's a ship coming in. But as long as the port's empty and we're not disturbing the sailors there, we can play all we want at the harbor.

That day, I managed to score a ball. Me and my team were so happy with it. But some of the kids from the loosing team can't take it and started to mock me.

"Hay, puny Zell! You know how you can score that ball?" a kid asked.

Afraid of them, I just shook my head.

"Coz we're sorry to see how small you are!" he said again.

"We're just giving your team one favor!" said another kid.

"Yeah, don't be too happy with just one goal, we're gonna stomp on your crybaby tiny body later!" and another kid said.

"Stop it!" a kid from my team tried to defend me.

But they won't stop and keep calling me, "Puny Zell! Puny Zell!"

I can feel my tears ready to fall. I know I'm small, but did they have to say it as if it's a bad thing?

"Look, he's ready to cry now!" a kid yelled.

I approached a friend of mine that's on the outer side of the playing field.

"Please replace me, Karl," I asked him and ran away from the harbor. I can still hear the kids mocking me and I can hear my friends still defending me. But I just can't stay there any longer.

"I'm home, Ma!" arriving home, I greeted and ran passed Ma who's in the kitchen right next to the door, going toward the stairs to my room.

"Wait, Zell! Why're ya in so hurry?" Ma asked, getting out of the kitchen.

But I just ran up to my room and shut the door afterward.

Between my cries, I can hear footsteps going up the stairs, toward my room.

"Zell, hunny, did they tease you again?" Ma asked gently from outside of my door. I didn't reply her.

Ma just told Grandpa how she's proud having me as her kid, but I just can't stop crying. What's to be proud of from a crybaby like me?

"Zell, it's Grandpa." suddenly Grandpa's voice heard.

"Why didn't ya wanna talk to yer Ma, Zell? Are ya mad at her?"

"No, Grandpa. I'm not mad at Ma," I quickly replied him.

Wiping my tears, I got up and opened the door, "I just didn't want Ma see me crying again," I said, softly. Still sobbing a lil.

"Oh Zell," Ma picked me up and hugged me.

"I'm sorry Ma, I tried real hard not to cry. I did! But…," I can't continued my words.

"I know you did, Zell. I know," Ma hold me tight.

Brushing my hair lightly, Grandpa just smiled at me.

I'm sorry, Ma. I'm sorry, Grandpa.

The next morning, I was awoken by the smell of Ma's delicious cooking, remembered I didn't eat dinner last night. My stomach started growling.

"Morning, Ma," I greeted Ma in the kitchen, gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"Morning, Zell. Go on, wash your face and on to the table. Breakfast's almost ready," Ma ordered.

I nodded and moved to the bathroom.

After washing my face, I went to the dining room. Grandpa was there, lifting some weights. They were big ones, I can't believe Grandpa could lift them up and down so easily as if they were mere pillows.

"Morning, Zell!" Grandpa's greeting stopped me from staring him with full of admiration.

"Morning, Grandpa. Wow, it looked so easy for you to lift those!" I praised him. Grandpa laughed hearing me.

"Wanna try it too?" he offered.

Shyly, I shook my head.

"C'mon, just try to touch it," Grandpa offered again.

I stepped closer to him. Grandpa put my hand on the barbell's handle, taught me how to hold it.

But of course I can't lift it at all.

"Oh man, this is truly heavy! How can you lift this, Grandpa?" I asked, giving up from trying to lift it.

Grandpa laughed.

"Practice, Zell. I can't lift it either when I'm at yer age, but I kept on practicing till I can," Grandpa answered, putting the barbell to the corner of the room since Ma's setting up the table for breakfast.

"Don't bother yer Grandpa now, Zell," Ma warned me.

Grandpa patted my head, "No, no, Zell's not bothering me at all! Rite, Zell?"

I smiled and nodded. Ma just smiled seeing us.

"Zell, are ya going to play?" Ma asked when she saw me putting on my shoes.

I turned to her and nodded.

"Yeah, Ma. Did ya need me at home?" I asked her back.

Ma smiled, "No, ya can go play. But don't go outside of town, ya hear?"

I nodded again before leaving the house.

"Yesterday he just cried coz his friends were teasing him, today he acted as if nothing ever happened," Grandpa Dincht said.

Ma Dincht nodded, "Yea, he's always like that. He easily forgotten what his friends did to him and kept playing with them as usual."

Grandpa Dincht smiled.

"He really is a good boy."

Outside, I saw Lily and Karl playing Triple triad near the gas station.

"Who's turn now?" I heard Lily asked when I approached them.

"Yours, Lily," Karl replied.

Lily nodded and placed her Caterchipillar card on the board. It turned a card to her side. There is only one space left now. Karl seemed to be thinking before pulling out a Fastitocalon card and turned two cards, out winning Lily's cards.

"Oh no!" Lily grumbled.

"I won! Now gimme a card, Lily!" asked Karl. Lily nodded and gave him a Bite Bug card.

"Can I play too?" I asked, seeing their game's over.

"Sure, you can play me, Zell!" Lily replied. Karl moved and gave his spot to me. I pulled out my deck from my shorts' back pocket and started arranging them.

Just before we can start our game, five kids showed up. They were bigger than me, Lily or Karl.

Suddenly, they grabbed Lily's deck.

"Hei!" Lily tried to protest, but another kid hold her.

The one that grabbed Lily's deck started browsing through it.

I got up and handed him my deck, "Don't take Lily's. Just take mine," I offered him.

He looked at me and laughed, "I'll take the both of you then!" he grabbed my deck forcefully.

"No! My dad gave me the cards! Don't take them!" Lily cried. She grabbed her cards at the boy's hand.

"Lily!" I tried to stop her. But she kept on yelling it's her card and refused to let go of it.

The boy got angry and pushed Lily, making her fall on top of me.

"You want this card?" he raised the deck high, "Then come and get it!" he throw the cards away. The deck scattered outside of town.

"No! Daddy!" Lily cried, chasing the cards.

"Lily! Don't go outside! It's dangerous!" me and Karl called her, but she kept on running.

Lily went outside of town, picking up each of her card. Worried, me and Karl helped her picking them up also. The car road was safe from monster, so we can pick up the cards that were spread there. But then we realize there are some cards that were flown to the grassy area, where monsters can show up anytime.

When I turned my head toward Lily, she was walking on the grassy area, chasing a card.

"Lily! No! Don't go there!" Karl called and chased her.

I followed them immediately. But before arriving there, a T-Rexaur showed up toward Lily. Lily screamed in shock seeing the giant monster.

It came closer toward Lily. Karl's shaking and fell sit to the ground because of shock and scared. I was going to do the same and I was going to cry any time.

Until I heard Lily's voice.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Lily's daddy was a sailor. He often left home to go on a journey and won't be back until months later. He loved Lily very much and Lily loved him just as much. Lily's daddy was a nice man. When he's around, no one would tease me coz he'll chase away anyone who tried to do so.

I always feel happy when seeing him and Lily together.

I don't wanna see Lily's daddy gone sad if something ever happened to Lily. I don't wanna see Lily sad too.

I don't ever wanna see anything happened to any of them. Or to any of my friends.

What the next thing happened was something I can't remember exactly, but I remember jumping toward Lily, picked her up and dragged her away from the T-Rexaur.

We were far enough from it. But it didn't chase us. It turned and stopped next to Karl.

The monster took Karl.

"KARL!" I cried in shock, then my view gone blank.

I passed out.

I woke up in my bed, in my room. Alone. Somehow, I was saved.

I remembered what happened. To me, to Lily, to Karl. I began to cry when I remembered Karl.

Footsteps heard coming to my room. The door's opened and Ma walked in.

"Zell…," Ma called. She sat next to me and brushed my hair gently, but I kept on crying.

"Why are ya crying, Zell?" Grandpa showed up. I didn't answer him.

"Ya just saved Lily, Zell. Ya should be proud of yerself," Ma said. But I still didn't answer.

"Were ya still afraid of that monster, Zell? It's okay to be afraid of that monster," Grandpa said again.

I looked at him and shook my head.

"I… I did afraid of it, Grandpa. But… but that's not why I cried. I cried coz…," my tears started to flood again, "coz I can't save Karl, Grandpa…. He… the monster took him…. I…."

Suddenly Grandpa laughed.

"Don't worry about Karl, Zell!" Grandpa patted my back, then continued, "He's safe n sound at his home!"

I looked at him in disbelief.

Grandpa smiled. "The mechanic at the gas station heard some kids went outside and called the townsfolk. I got there when ya saved Lily and that T-Rexaur grabbed Karl. I beat it and Karl's saved. He got a few scars, but it's nothing serious," Grandpa explained.

I still can't believe him.

I need to see it myself.

I got up from bed, ignoring Ma's and Grandpa's calls. I ran downstairs and out the door, toward Karl's house.

Arriving there, I knocked the door as hard as I can.

"Who's making a ruckus like that?" a yell heard from inside. The door's opened and I rushed entering.

"Zell?" Karl's mom saw me in surprise. But I kept on running.

Searching for Karl.

On Karl's room, I saw him. He got bandages wrapping his right hand and leg, but he's there. On his bed.

"Hei, Zell! You're okay?"

Karl greeted me. Karl... was fine.

I dropped to the floor, once more surprising Karl and his mom.

"Zell? Are you alright?" I heard her calling.

Then I began to cry.

"Thank God ya're okay, Karl…," I said. Then looked at him.

"I'm sorry, Karl…."

Karl looked at me. Dumbfounded.

"Sorry for what, Zell? You didn't do anything wrong," he replied.

I still cried. "I… I can't help ya…."

Karl smiled. "It's not your fault, Zell. C'mon, forget it already."

"But…," I still persistent.

Karl lowered his head.

"I saw you, Zell. I saw how you saved Lily," he said.

"You looked so brave that time. I can't do anything, but you jumped to save Lily. I… I envy you that time, Zell."

He smiled again. "I'm happy you save Lily. If only I could the same as you," then some tears started falling from his eyes, "I'm the one who should be saying I'm sorry, Zell. I can't do anything when the other kids teased you, I can't do anything when Lily's in trouble, I…."

The room was filled with our cries.

"Is Zell here?" I heard Ma's voice.

Karl's mom welcomed Ma and took her to Karl's room. Ma hugged me and Karl's mom hugged him.

Tired coz of crying and coz of the tension of what had happened, I fell asleep in Ma's arms.

Thank God Lily and Karl are both alrite.

Waking up, I saw Ma sitting next to my bed.

"Good morning, Zell," she greeted.

"Good morning, Ma," I replied her, giving her a kiss on the cheek, as usual.

"C'mon down, Zell. I'll fix ya yer favorite breakfast!" she said again, standing up and went outside my room.

I followed her down, washing my face and went to the dining table. Grandpa was still lifting weights there.

I remembered Grandpa's story.

"Grandpa, did ya really beat that T-Rexaur?" I asked.

He stopped his lifting, smiled to me and replied, "I did!"

"Alone?" I asked again.

Grandpa nodded, "Alone!" he replied again.

I looked at him with full of admiration once more.

"Ya must be really-really-really strong, Grandpa!" I praised him again.

Grandpa chuckled. "I guess I am!" he acclaimed himself. I laughed hearing him. That time, Ma showed up, bringing our breakfast in.

But before we can start eating, a knock heard from the front door.

"Who would that be? This early in the morning," Ma asked, getting up from her seat to open the door.

Lily was at the door.

"Ma Dincht!" she called, startling Ma.

"Yes, Lily?" Ma asked. I step down from my chair and approached them.

"Please don't be mad at Zell! It's not Zell's fault that we went out of the city! I'm the one who made him do that! You can yell at me, but please don't yell at Zell! It's entirely my fault!"

Her eyes were full of crystals, but she hang on not to cry while saying those.

I was surprised seeing her doing so.

But both Ma and Grandpa laughed hearing her.

"We didn't blame anyone, Lily. Well, Pa here just punished the kids that threw away yer cards, and they're actually about the only ones to blame. But we didn't blame you, Zell or Karl," Ma brushed Lily's hair, "That deck was a gift from yer daddy, rite? Zell and Karl just tried to help returning them to ya and helping someone is something to be praised, not to be yelled at. So, don't ya worry no more now, Lily."

Lily looked at me, making sure that Ma really didn't mad at me. I smiled confirming it. She finally smiled also and hugged Ma tightly.

"Thank you, Ma Dincht. I love you!" she said.

Ma laughed, "I love ya too, Lily," replied Ma.

Then she hugged Grandpa, saying, "Thank you for saving us, Grandpa Dincht."

Grandpa laughed hard, "That's not a problem, Lily! One or two monster like that was no match for me!"

Lily laughed hearing him.

Then she looked at me. And hugged me too.

"And thank you, Zell. For saving me," said Lily.

I can feel my face's blushing and I can saw that Ma and Grandpa saw my red face.

"Ahahaha, it was Grandpa that saved us, Lily," I replied.

Lily smiled sweetly and kissed my cheek.

"Thank you!" she said it once more before running off.

"Ah, she's a pretty one, rite Zell?" Grandpa teased me, seeing the previous scene. I just smiled shyly.

That morning, Grandpa's doing his weightlifting, as usual.

"Can I be as strong as ya are, Grandpa?" I asked him.

Grandpa stopped his weightlifting and looked at me.

"D'ya wannabe as strong as I am, Zell?" he asked back.

I looked at him back.

Then nodded.

"I… When Lily's in danger, I… I was thinking, Grandpa. Not only Lily that could be in danger like that, but also Ma, Grandpa, Karl, and everyone else here. So I…," I paused a while, "If I was stronger, I could help 'em, Grandpa. I could help everyone here. I… I don't wanna cry anymore, Grandpa. I wannabe strong… like ya…."

Grandpa smiled.

"Ya know Zell, even though I'm strong, I could also cry sometimes," he said.

"Really? Why?" I asked, not believing him.

Patting my head, Grandpa replied, "Ya didn't cry just coz yer sad or scared, Zell. Ya could cry also when yer happy or relieved. So, it really was okay to cry sometimes."

I shook my head.

"It is okay to cry sometimes Grandpa, but I don't wanna cry when someone's in danger! I wanna help!" I insisted.

Grandpa smiled again.

"Are ya sure, Zell? Ya wannabe a fighter?" Grandpa asked again.

I nodded. "I promise I won't fight against the other kids, Grandpa! I'll only fight the monsters and the bad guys! I promise! So… please teach me, Grandpa," I begged.

Another smile appeared on Grandpa's face.

"I'm pretty strict when it comes to training. Are ya sure ya can handle me, Zell?"

I nodded again. "I promise I'll do everything ya say and won't complain, Grandpa!" I made another promise.

This time Grandpa looked above me. Behind me. Ma was there. Hearing us.

"Is it okay with ya if I teach yer kid here how to fight?" he asked Ma.

Ma looked at me with a look I never saw before. Then smiled.

"As long as ya keep yer promises there, Zell," she told me.

I nodded fullheartedly.

That's when I began my training as a wrestler.

"The first and most important thing to learn was focus, Zell."

"Focus?" I repeated Grandpa.

He nodded.

"Yes. In battles, concentration is the most important thing. Doesn't matter how strong or how weak ya are, if ya can stay focus, ya can win that battle. If ya can't, then there's no way for ya to survive."

I nodded hearing his explanation.

"Now Zell, how much concentration can ya hold and how long can ya stay focus?" he asked me.

I shook my head.

"I dunno, Grandpa," I replied honestly.

Grandpa laughed. "Let's test it then."

"A test?"

Nodding, Grandpa pulled out something from his pants' back pocket.

A pocket book.

"Ya know what's this, Zell?"

"A book, Grandpa," I answered him.

He nodded, "That's right. It's a book. Can you read, Zell?" Grandpa asked again.

This time, I'm the one nodded. "Yeah, I can."

"Good, then read this book, Zell."

My eyebrows lifted. Was it some kinda special wrestling technique book?

I received the book and opened one of the pages.

"A car's engine was constructed of spark plug, condens…, Grandpa, this is a machinery book."

"That's right."

I looked at him, puzzled.

"What's a machinery book gotta do with martial art, Grandpa?" I asked again out of curiosity.

Grandpa laughed, "Nothin o'course," he replied easily.

I was puzzled even more.

Grandpa pointed the book, "D'ya like machinery, Zell?" asked Grandpa.

Shaking my head, I replied, "Not really…."

"Then this book won't interest ya?" I shook my head again.

"What if I told ya to read this entire book by tonight n tell me the content of it tomorrow?"

I was surprised hearing it.

"Um, I dunno, Grandpa…."

"That's it, Zell," Grandpa cut my words.

"What's 'it', Grandpa?" can't understand what he means, I asked him again.

"Zell, reading this book is something that can train yer concentration n focus. If ya can read this book n ya can memorize its contents, meaning ya can concentrate on READING it n focused yerself on WHAT ya read."

Once more, I was surprised.

"Wow, I didn't know that, Grandpa."

Grandpa laughed. "It's actually a technique developed by a friend o'mine. I wouldn't know either if she didn't tell me about it, hahaha…."

"Well, 'nyway Zell, read this book fer tonight n we'll see, whether ya'll overslept it or really read it."

I looked at him confidently.

"I'll read it, Grandpa! Ya'll see!"

Grandpa just laughed once more.

Like Grandpa has expected, it's really hard for me to stay awake, reading something I'm not interested in. But I kept forcing myself to read it. I must read it!

"Morning, Zell!" Grandpa greeted me when I come down the stairs this morning. But I felt my head's spinning.

"Morning…, Grandpa…," I replied in a weak manner.

Ma showed up and touched my forehead, "Zell, ya didn't have a fever, but why d'ya looked dying like that?" she asked.

Grandpa laughed.

"He was reading a boring book," Grandpa gave Ma the answer. He then looked at me.

"So, can ya read it all?"

I nodded and replied, "Yeah, Grandpa. I read till the last page!"

Grandpa nodded also, "Good," he commented and continued, "so ya can tell me what's the book about?"

I got blanked.

"Umm… it's about a car… n… ung…," I realized that I can't really remember the content.

Grandpa laughed again.

"Even if ya can read it to the end, if ya don't know what're ya reading, then it'll be useless. The same when fighting a monster, even if ya can tell the elemental of the monster, it'll be useless if ya can't 'member the elemental's weakness and strength. Focus, Zell."

Continuing, Grandpa explained more, "If ya can't read it all tonight, try reading it chapter by chapter and continue it tomorrow. It's hard at first, but when ya've used with reading, ya'll read a thousand pages just by a day. The same with concentration, Zell. It's hard to master it at once, but if ya try concentrating minutes by minutes, then soon ya'll be able to concentrate for a full day."

Patting my head, Grandpa told me to re-read the book. I just nodded.

That night, I tried my best to read the book. This time, not forcing myself.

The next morning, I told Grandpa the first five chapters of the book. Then three days later, I finished reading it and told Grandpa the complete content of the book.

Grandpa then gave me another book. Not a pocket book as before, it was a normal book, and it was thicker than the pocket book too.

"This book has more contents than the first one ya read n ya might can't read it as fast as that one. It's not a machinery book also, it's a world history book."

"Why different type, Grandpa?"

He showed a happy face hearing my question. "Good question, Zell! Books are like opponents, they won't be the same each one. So if ya can read all type of books, then ya can fight all type of opponents."

I understood him immediately.

Like Grandpa said, it took me a week to finish that book. Just like before, Grandpa then gave me another book. A new book always available every time I finished one.

I kept on reading the books until one day….

"Grandpa! I finished reading this book last night! All of it, just one night!" I ran down the stairs, almost tumbling myself if Ma didn't catch me.

"Be careful will ya, Zell?" Ma yelled. I just grinned and continued my run toward the dining room where Grandpa was.

Grandpa heard me and smiled widely, "Really, Zell? Then tell me the content of it." Immediately, I told Grandpa the synopsis of the book.

After hearing my summary, Grandpa laughed real hard.

"My gosh! I can't believe ya could read a four hundred pages book in just one night! And ya managed to do so just after two months!" Grandpa lifted me up in the air with such joy then hugged me.

"Ya know how long I need to be able to finish this book in one night, Zell?" he pointed the book I read last night. I shook my head to his question.

"Four months, Zell! Four whole months! Ya did it just half of me! That's great, Zell! Great!"

Never before I saw Grandpa this happy. Seeing him that happy made me feel a lot more happier too.

"Okay ya two, now's breakfast time so let's continue the talk later, Pa, Zell," Ma showed up, stopping me and Grandpa from our excitement that almost ruined the breakfast Ma's preparing.

"Tomorrow, the real training will start, Zell."

I turned around from the shoes I'm putting on when I heard it.

"Real training?"

Grandpa nodded.

"It didn't mean ya can't play as usual like today, Zell. But it'll be such a hard training, ya can leave it anytime ya want to if ya feel ya don't wanna be a fighter no more."

He looked at me deeply.

I looked at him back.

"I won't give up, Grandpa. I promised ya that n I'll keep that promise," I said, determined with my aim to be a fighter.

Grandpa just smiled.

And so, the next day I began my physical training and it's on till the next coming months. Building my strength, creating a flexible body, gaining speed, learning techniques, and much other. All that needed and had to be endured if I wanted to be a strong wrestler.

Even then, books were still involved in the training. There's a training where I have to read a book and use all my hands and legs altogether, then a training where I have to memorize a book while Grandpa's attacking me, and some more. I was so used with books, I began liking reading.

But just as what Grandpa has told me before this training started, it was all a really hard training. And sometimes, I did feel like it's too hard for me to handle. But I kept remembering why I wanna be a fighter, and that's what stopping me from giving up.

"Zell, you looked bigger now," one day Lily told me that.

I was really happy hearing it.

"Really?"

"You're still shorter than us," Karl added, comparing my height and his' with his hand. I sighed seeing he's right, but he then continued, "But you did look bigger than us."

"Are you getting fat?"

Now I'm shocked.

"Did-did I?" I asked in surprise. I did train real hard but it didn't mean I won't get fat. I'm still a growing child anyway.

"No, he's not, Karl!" Lily's comment relieved me.

"Look," Lily pointed at my stomach, "It's not blowing up like John's, rite? And look," this time she pointed my cheeks, "he's not really chubby either."

Karl stared at me then nodded. "Yeah, you're right Lily. But he did look bigger, so, um…."

"Um, you're shorter but bigger, um, do you get what we mean, Zell?" Lily tried really hard to make me understand what she and Karl were trying to say.

I replied with, "Not really," and grinned before continuing, "but it doesn't matter. I won't go crying anymore if there's someone called me names. And I won't stand still if anyone's bugging any other one. I'm gonna try my best to help. I'm gonna be strong."

Lily and Karl smiled hearing me. I'm glad I can say that.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZELL!"

That yell suddenly heard when I returned home. Ma, Grandpa, and my friends, all gathered at the dining room.

"See? We told you we can hold him outside while Ma Dincht prepared the party!" said Lily, joining the crowd.

"Happy birthday, Zell!" Karl patted my shoulder, grinning.

No wonder today Lily and Karl kept asking me to play with them for the entire day. It turned out that everybody's preparing my birthday party.

I was so happy, I can't stop laughing.

Ma baked such a great cake, me and my friends ate a lot. We play a lot too. When afternoon came, the party's over and everybody went home, but even then they still congratulating me. I'm glad they enjoyed the party.

"Open yer presents now, Zell," Ma handed me some boxes with colorful wrappings and ribbons. I nodded happily.

"Zell," Grandpa called when I was opening a green box.

"Yea, Grandpa?"

Grandpa sat himself next to me.

"I have a birthday gift for ya, but ya can choose not to receive it if ya don't want it."

I immediately get more excited hearing it.

"What d'ya mean, Grandpa! If it's from ya, I want it!" I exclaimed joyously.

Grandpa smiled.

"My present was this," he pointed his left cheek.

I didn't get what he mean.

"Yer cheek, Grandpa?" I asked in confuse.

Instantly, Grandpa laughed.

"No, Zell. Not m'cheek! But… this tattoo."

I got stunned hearing it.

"Ye… yer… tattoo? Ya mean, I'll gonna have a tattoo just like yers?" in shock, I can't believe my ears.

Grandpa nodded.

"But-but, ya say that tattoo can only be given to a great fighter!" I sighed, "While I'm not, Grandpa."

Grandpa patted my head.

"Yer not now Zell, but I know ya will. Ya promised me that, didn't ya?"

I looked at him.

"The problem is, making a tattoo like this might gonna hurt a lil, so…."

I shook my head immediately.

"I… I can hold it…. Are ya serious, Grandpa?" I still can't believe him.

"Only if ya promised me once more, Zell. Promised me once more that ya'll be a great fighter when ya've grown up."

He looked to the deepest of my heart.

"I promise I'll be a great fighter, Grandpa."

Grandpa hugged me.

That night, Grandpa engraved the tattoo on my left cheek. Grandpa was never wrong, it did hurt. But it's nothing compared the proud feeling lingering in my heart each time he mark the tattoo little by little.

I'm gonna be a great fighter like ya, Grandpa.

I can't remember clearly what happened after Grandpa finished doing the tattoo on me. I woke up with bandages covering my left face. Eventhough I saw it with my own eyes how Grandpa made the tattoo, I still can't sure with the final result. I hope I didn't move and ruin it….

"Morning, Ma," greeting Ma, I went to the kitchen.

But nobody's there.

"Ma's here, Zell," Ma called from the dining room. But her voice sounded different.

"Ma?"

She was crying on the dining table.

"C'mere, Zell," Ma called again. I approached her, not knowing why she was crying.

"Where's Grandpa?" I asked when she hugged me, realizing Grandpa wasn't there, lifting weights as usual.

"Yer Grandpa… he… he's gone, Zell," Ma replied, softly.

"Did he return to his home?" I asked again, remembering that Grandpa didn't live with us previously.

"No, Zell. He… he was sick…. He just wanna see his grandson before…."

I laughed a little, saying, "Grandpa's not sick, Ma! He's healthy as a T-Rexaur! He always did weightlifting in the morning and trained me the whole day!"

But Ma kept on crying.

"Ma?"

I started to feel sad.

"Ma?"

Then I really cried. For months I haven't cry again, but this morning I cried once more.

Grandpa's… gone….

Standing in front of his casket, I still can't believe Grandpa's gone. He always laughed, or weightlifting, or trained me hard, or….

I touched the bandages on my left face.

Did Grandpa know he'll pass away this soon? Did he give me this tattoo coz of it? Coz he thought he won't be able to give it to me when I've grown up…?

"Grandpa…."

I know he won't reply me anymore. I didn't know why I still calling him.

"Grandpa…."

My tears began falling. I can feel Ma's hugging me from behind.

Grandpa….

Three days have passed since Grandpa's funeral. I still can't used with the empty dining room in the morning.

"Zell, it's time to open yer bandages," Ma said.

I nodded.

Carefully, Ma unwrapped the bandages covering my left face.

"Here, Zell," she handed me a mirror.

I looked into it.

And I saw it.

The tattoo.

It was exactly like Grandpa's.

"Ya look just like yer Grandpa," Ma commented, smiling.

Unconsciously, my hand's lifted and touched the tattoo. The memories of Grandpa suddenly came pouring, floating before my eyes and vanished toward my heart.

"Grandpa… is with me, Ma."

Ma looked at me deeply, and nodded.

"He will always be with us, Zell."

"Ma, I wanna enter Balamb Garden."

Ma was shocked to hear me.

"Ya wanna be a SeeD cadet, Zell?" she asked me, still surprised to hear what I've just said.

"Yea, Ma. I," I paused, taking a deep breath, "I still trained myself after Grandpa's gone, but I'm not sure if I was doing it rite. I did it just like what Grandpa taught me but…."

I paused again, taking another breath, "If I entered Balamb Garden, I'll get a proper training. I want my wrestling skills to be honed more. I can be a SeeD too, if I passed the test. I… I wanna be a strong fighter just like Grandpa."

I looked at Ma with all my heart. Hoping she'll gimme her permission.

She finally smiled after some long seconds.

"If that's what ya want, Zell. But promise me ya'll return here when ya can."

"I promise, Ma!" nodding, I gave her my best smile. She hugged me for a second before letting me go again.

"Yer too young to enter Garden now, but since it's hard to enter Garden, ya better go online now to sign yerself up. If they approved ya, they'll send ya an application form once yer old enough. I'll sign that application form, that is if by that time ya still wanna be a cadet. Okay?"

"Okay, Ma," I hugged her before going upstairs, saying, "Thanks, Ma!" and entered my room. I turned on my computer and opened Balamb Garden's website. Clicking on the 'Sign Up To Be A Cadet' link.

"ZELL, WAKE UP!"

Ma's shout woke me up instantly.

Entering my room, Ma kept on shouting, "It's seven thirty already! I thought ya wanna sign in to Garden today?"

Then I remembered.

"Oh no! I was too excited last night, I can't sleep!" hurrying, I grabbed my clothes and ran toward the shower.

Finishing my breakfast in a hurry, I kissed Ma good bye, grabbed my luggage and application form, and ran toward the town's entrance.

"Hay, Zell! You'll finally enter Garden today, huh? So let's go!" the gas station owner called me, pointing the car he's gonna use to take me to Garden.

"I wanna go there myself, but Ma said it's too dangerous, she won't allow me enter Garden if I didn't go with ya," I told him while entering the car. He laughed.

"You can go anywhere yourself once you've become a full cadet, Zell. Be patience a little," he replied, starting up the car. I just smiled in agree with him.

And we're off to Balamb Garden.

Grandpa, I'll be a Garden student starting from today.

Ya just watch, I'm gonna be the strongest one and I'll help anyone who needed a help.

I promise!


	3. The Lamb That Walks Toward The Sun

**ALL THE LAMBS**

A Final Fantasy VIII Fanfiction

Written by: Arm

November 2008

**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

The Lamb That Sleeps Within The Storm

The Lamb That Run Alongside The Spirits

The Lamb That Walks Toward The Sun

The Lamb That Dances Before The Winds

The Lamb That Smiles Upon The Moon

The Lamb That Leaps Over The Sky

The Shepherd That Lost The Lambs

The Princess That Caught A Lamb

**THE LAMB THAT ****WALKS TOWARD THE SUN**

"Let's go, Seifer," Father ordered.

"Wait a minute, Father," I replied, still trying to make a knot out of my shoelaces.

"Okay, I'm set!" I got up and took Father's hand.

We're going out to see a movie tonight. Just me and Father. Father said it's a "boys' night out" or something like that. I don't really understand, but it sounded fun!

Father took me to watch a movie titled "The Knight of Gunblade". I don't know what 'Gunblade' means so I asked him. He said 'Gunblade' was a name of a weapon used in the army. A combination of a sword and a gun. It sounded cool, I hope it looked cool too.

And the movie turned out to be soooo awesome!

It's about a princess in distress, not only she's kidnapped, but a giant red dragon also attacking her. The 'Knight of Gunblade' rescued her all the time. He beat the kidnappers and he killed the dragon also. He was really strong!

The Knight of Gunblade was so cool and his Gunblade was so cool too!

"I wanna be a Knight of Gunblade too when I grow up!" I told Father when we left the movie.

Father just laughed hearing me.

But I mean it.

I've decided on the dream of what I'm gonna be in the future.

I wanna be a knight.

I wanna be a knight that protected a princess, I wanna be a knight that slay dragons, and I wanna use a Gunblade.

I wanna be a Knight of Gunblade!

"HAH!" and Rudy's bamboo sword flew to the corner of the room.

Rudy dropped to the floor.

"Rudy! Are you taking it easy on me again?" I yelled, putting down my bamboo sword. Rudy was a lot bigger than me, so I can't believe I beat him that easily.

Standing up, Rudy dusted his suit. "I am not, Young Master Seifer. But as I've mentioned before, Young Master Seifer's sword skill is now beyond me. Young Master Seifer should hire a professional sword master to teach you," he replied.

I sighed.

"I've asked Father, but he said in the era of war like now, most sword master are out on the battle field. I think Father was just searching excuses so I won't learn sword skills," I complained.

Rudy looked at me before asking, "Why does Young Master Seifer so insisted to become a sword master?"

I smiled at him.

"Before you can master a gunblade, first you need to master a sword, Rudy," I answered.

Rudy's eyebrows lifted, "And Young Master Seifer wish to master a gunblade because…."

I smiled even more.

"I wanna be a knight, Rudy. I know there are no more knights in this era, but I wanna be a protector of a princess. Well, if there's no princess, maybe the president's guard or something like that. And I wanna use a gunblade as my weapon! I wanna be a hero with gunblade!"

Rudy smiled hearing my story.

"So that was Young Master Seifer's 'Romantic Dream'?"

"Romantic Dream?" I repeated his last two words, not knowing what he means.

"Yes, Young Master Seifer. A dream that was full of dream, a lot of people would think it would never come true."

I looked at him angrily, "You mean it's a useless dream?"

Rudy laughed, "No, Young Master Seifer. I mean Young Master Seifer would face a lot of obstacles to reach that dream, but as long as Young Master Seifer continue to hold on to that dream, there is no way Young Master Seifer can not reach it."

Hearing him, my anger turned to proud. I smiled happily.

"I know I will, Rudy. You'll see!"

Rudy nodded and smiled.

"I shall be waiting, Young Master Seifer."

"Where are we going, Father?" I asked when Rudy put on a suit on me.

"To Balamb Garden, Seifer," Father replied, tidying up his tie.

"Why are we going to a garden? Was there any special flower there?" I asked again.

Father and Rudy laughed.

"No, Young Master Seifer. 'Balamb Garden' was a name of a school. The school's specializing in training SeeDs," Rudy explained after he's finished with my tie.

"A plant's seeds needed a training?" I got confused more.

Once more, Father and Rudy laughed.

"Not seeds, Seifer. S-e-e-D. A special army consisted of young soldiers that worked independently without being attached to any government in this world."

I believe there are glitterings all over my eyes right now.

"Why are we going there then? To hire a sword master to teach me sword skills?"

This time only Father that laughed.

"No, we're not, Seifer. I was invited by the association I was in. They said it's a formal tour incase one day we need their service."

Now I began to think that this Balamb Garden and SeeD stuffs were very interesting.

And it was.

The building's huge, the instructors were experts in their skills, the facilities were complete, and there are a lot of soldiers using a wide variety of weapons, made me drooling just to look at them.

Someday, one of them is going to be a knight just like what I've dreamt of!

"Father, there are also kids here. I thought soldiers are just for grown ups?" I asked, seeing some kids that looked like only a few years older than I am.

"Like I've said previously, Seifer, the SeeDs are consisted of young soldiers. Not only grown ups, but even teenagers can be a SeeD. I've heard there are SeeDs that graduated at age eighteen," Father explained.

"You mean, they were trained as a soldier since the same age as me?"

"No, not as young as you are, Seifer. About a couple of years older. They still have age limitation, or else they might going to train a baby," Father laughed.

SeeD….

I think I just found a better way to reach my 'romantic dream'.

"You wanna enter Garden?" standing up from his chair, Father asked me back in surprise.

"Yes, Father. I wanna be a SeeD," I answered firmly.

Father looked really shocked.

"But… why, Seifer?"

"I've told you, I wanna be a knight."

"That was a mere child fantasy, Seifer!" Father insisted.

"No, it's not, Father! I'm serious! I wanna be a knight, and the best knights in this world were SeeDs, so I wanna be a SeeD!"

Father wrapped his face with his right hand palm.

"I should've never brought you along to that tour to Balamb Garden…," he regretted.

But I shook my head.

"I've set my mind before that, Father. Even if I don't become a Garden cadet, I would still enter the army and be a soldier when I've grown up."

"Then I shouldn't have taken you to watch that movie!" Father's voice tone was rising.

"That movie was aired on TV six months after that day, Father! I would've watched it anyway!"

He looked at me hearing it.

"Seifer, life won't be like in the movie. You can't be… 'the unbeatable man' forever. You'll face real dangers out there on the battlefield."

I nodded and replied, "I know that, Father. I'm well aware of the danger of being a soldier. I know it could cost me my life. But that is my dream and I refuse to give it up."

We stared at each other for a few seconds before Father sighed and sat back on his chair.

He didn't say a word.

"I've sign up online. I'll be old enough to enter Garden next year. That day, they'll send me an application form for my parent to sign as an approval."

I turned around.

"You don't have to sign that form, Father. If you don't allow me to be a SeeD, I can be a soldier in the army instead when I've reached eighteen."

And walked away from Father's work room.

"Rudy," I called him.

Rudy closed the door behind him and approached me.

"Yes, Young Master Seifer?"

"Do you have any mails for me?"

Checking the mails in his hand, he then shook his head, "I'm sorry, Young Master Seifer. There isn't any today."

That's weird. I should've received the confirmation letter from Balamb Garden any time this week.

"Young Master Seifer keeps asking mails for this past week. Is there any special mail you're waiting for, Young Master Seifer?" Rudy asked when he saw my curious face.

I looked at him.

Then remembered something.

"Young Master Seifer?"

Quickly, I headed toward Father's work room.

"Who is it?" Father's voice heard when I knocked the door.

"Seifer," I answered.

There was a pause.

"Come in, Seifer," said Father after a few seconds.

Entering his work room, my eyes went straight to his desk. And found it.

Father realized I was staring at a letter in his desk.

"I'm still reading it, Seifer," he said, without waiting for me to ask.

I stared at him.

"Reading it?"

Father nodded a little.

"If I want to sign something, I have to understand clearly what I'll sign. That's the rule in business, Seifer. Don't sign a contract before you know the content of it," he said, picking up the letter.

"You thought my application form as a contract?"

He looked at me with a stern face.

"I'm about to let you go to some institution, Seifer. I don't want to do that without knowing what they will do toward my son."

His words were solid and strong. Just as himself.

Taking a breath, he leaned his back on his chair. Staring the ceiling.

There was a quiet between us.

"Seifer," after some seconds, he started to talk again. Still placing his eyes toward the ceiling.

Waving the form, he said, "I'll sign this if you promise me one thing."

I looked at him curiously.

"What promise?" I asked at the next second.

He sat straight back again and looked at me straight in the eyes.

"Promise me that you'll be the strongest man there and you will defeat anyone and anything that gets in your way."

My smile appeared to hear it.

"Father, without you asking it, I AM going to be the strongest SeeD around and I AM going to defeat anyone and anything that comes my way."

I know Father can tell that I am confident with my words and that I am confident with myself. He can tell because he's the one who taught me that.

Father sighed after another silence between us.

Then he took a pen from a holder on his desk and signed the form.

"I'm the one who raised you so it's no wonder if you become as stubborn as I am, Seifer. Damn, this is one of the times where I wish you were closer to your mother than to me," he grumbled, but handing me the signed form.

I only smiled to hear it and took the form from his hand.

Reading it for a while, I realized that the entry date was next week.

"Tell Rudy to prepare your needs for leaving next week. I can't go there with you, I have a business trip starting from tomorrow and won't be back till the end of the month," said Father when I read the form.

Nodding, I began to leave his work room.

"Seifer," Father called once more just before I exited.

I turned around.

"When you've grown up, don't take your son to watch a war movie. Take him to watch a cartoon or something."

I just smiled before went out.

"Young Master Seifer, are you sure all of this is enough?" Rudy asked one more time. It seemed he didn't believe I would only needed just one suitcase to carry my belongings.

"Rudy, I'm going to a dorm school, not to a mountain where no men live. Some clothes, bathroom items, and a jacket is enough," I answered.

I lifted the suitcase and place it on the back seat, ignoring Rudy who tried to do it for me. I sat next to it afterward, ready to go.

"Young Master Seifer, besides Balamb Garden, there are also Gardens at Galbadia and Trabia, why did you choose Balamb's?" Rudy asked again on our way to the train station.

I smiled. "Because Balamb Garden was the central Garden, Rudy. It must have better equipment, better trainer, and better SeeDs than the branch ones," I replied.

Rudy nodded in understanding.

I got out from the car once we arrived at the train station.

"We say our farewells here, Young Master Seifer. Please take good care of yourself," showing a worried face, Rudy said his goodbye.

"Don't worry, Rudy," I smiled, "Nothing is gonna get in my way."

I can see him bowing when the train's leaving the station.

Finally, my journey to become a knight will start!

"Yes, Seifer Almasy. We have your name registered here. Everything is confirmed and you may use the dormitory immediately. This is your confirmation letter, the rules book and the key to your room and locker. Your uniform has been prepared in the room along with your student ID card and other Garden needs. The school's starting by Monday, so please memorize all the rules by then."

I received the items and move on.

"Oh, and Seifer, the dorm is -"

I waved my hand, still backfacing the receptionist, saying, "I can find it myself!"

It was a pretty big building, but hay, what's so hard to find a dorm?

Arriving at the dorm's entrance, a senior male cadet approached me.

"Excuse me, I see you haven't worn your student ID card, so I guess you're new here?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm new. Why?" I asked him back.

"I'm the male dorm coordinator. I need to see your confirmation letter before I can let you pass," he said.

I shrugged and handed him the letter.

He read it for a while then talked to me again, "Okay, Seifer. Let me tell you about male and female dorm -"

I raised my left hand palm in front of his face.

"I know, the left one's male and the other's female. I can't go in to the female one or I'll get detention. I can read the details later from the rules book that receptionist gave me. Now just gimme back that letter and let me pass."

He looked upset hearing me.

"Fine. Here," I can tell he's griping, but I don't care.

My room was on the first floor. It's small, but I know I'll get the bigger one once I'm a SeeD, I'll just have to bear with it for now.

Not long after I entered, a kid entered also.

"Oh, hi. Are you my roommate?" he greeted.

I pointed the right bedroom.

"That one's mine. Stay out!" I ordered him and entered the right bedroom.

Here goes, Seifer.

Monday came and the ceremony ended normally. Unfortunately. I was hoping for some excitement would suddenly happened.

My classroom was on the second floor. When I entered, some other students have arrived before me. I went straight to the back of the room, took the last seat near the corner. Sat there by leaning my shoulder to the window next to me.

Around nine, the room's full and our instructor came. He was a tall person, but that seemed to be all. I wondered what his weapon specialty was.

"Welcome to Balamb Garden, class. I will be the instructor in charge of this class. My name is," he took a marker and wrote down his name on the board, "Lambada. Instructor Lambada."

He put the marker back and started opening a book on his hand. An absent book. "If I call your name, raise your hand," he ordered.

"Seifer Almasy," my name finally mentioned after a while.

Still leaning to the window next to me, I raised my hand halfway and replied, "Yeah."

Instructor Lambada stared at me before saying, "Sit straight and answer me with a 'Yes, Sir', Seifer!" he ordered. Made the rest of the class turned their attention toward me.

But I just looked at him with an 'I don't care' smile and shrugged.

He seemed annoyed to saw me so but he just continued on with the next student's name.

"Very well, let's start our first lesson," he said after finished mentioning the last name on his list. At last.

He put down the absent book and opened his computer. "We will start with the basics of a battle."

"Instructor Lambada," I called him before he can continue on.

He lifted his head from the monitor and looked at me.

"Yes, Seifer?"

"When we'll start practicing weapons?" I asked.

Surprised a bit with my question, he shook his head and answered, "No, Seifer. First years didn't get weapon training yet. You will get it on your second year later."

"What? But I enter here coz I thought I'll be able to use gunblades!" I protested.

"Gunblade? You wanna be a gunblade specialist, Seifer? Well, let me tell you this now, gunblade is a very difficult weapon to handle. Even none of the SeeDs here have chosen it as their specialty," he explained without me asking.

I shrugged, "Good, then I'll be the first SeeD with gunblade specialty!" I exclaimed.

Instructor Lambada stared at me once more. "Still, you won't get any weapon training until your second year. So instead of worrying will you able to use gunblade or not, I advice you to start worrying on whether will you able to pass this first year or not."

Some kids looked at me with an annoyed face, but I just smiled calmly.

"I will pass, Instructor. Don't you worry about me. You better off worrying these kids that might hurt themselves if they don't hold their pencils properly," smiling, I returned his words.

Now he and the rest of the class are really upset.

Before anything, a knock heard on the door. Another instructor came in and whispered something on Instructor Lambada's ear.

"Class, I'm sorry, but you must learn yourselves for now. Made a synopsis of this page," he wrote a website link on the board, "and submit them to my e-mail," he then wrote an e-mail address below the link, "before lunch time. That is all."

He and the other instructor left the class in a hurry.

I wondered if something has happened. If it did, this might be interesting.

"Where are you going, Seifer?" a male student that sat at a seat in front of me stand up, blocking my way toward the exit.

"Instructor Lambada has given us an assignment and -" annoyed, I grabbed his collar and stared at him.

"You don't wanna deal with me. Trust me on that one. So just get out of my way and don't bother to talk to me unless you can make me to hear you," upset with his wise act, I warned him angrily.

He seemed quivering a bit, made me feel too lazy to mess with a weakling like him. I don't believe a coward like this wished to be a SeeD. Hah.

I pushed him to the side and walked out the class.

Outside, I can't see the two instructors anywhere. Damn, that kid made me lost them. Where did they go anyway?

"Hay, what are you doing here?" suddenly I heard someone behind me.

Turning around, I saw two older students with a sign of "Disciplinary Committee" wrapped around their left arm. Great, now what?

One of them grabbed my shoulder, looked at my student ID. "Hmm…, Seifer Almasy," he mumbled, reading my name then said, "You're first year, aren't you? All the instructors have an emergency meeting but they all have given their classes an assignment. You are forbidden to wander around the Garden on your class hours unless you have a permission slip. Do you have it?"

Man, does all dorm schools are as boring as this?

"Well, Mister Disciplinary Committee, that means you two are also not supposed to be wandering around. Or the both of you have the permission slip?" I asked them back.

One of them seemed angry and ready to charge me, but the other one calmly hold him off.

"We have it, Seifer," the calm one pulled out a device from his chemise pocket and showed it to me for a couple of seconds. The device's monitor showed a digital writing, with the sentences "All Disciplinary Committee members are allowed to patrol the Garden during today's emergency meeting until twelve hundred hours. Headmaster Cid Kramer." described on it. Then he turned it off and returned it to his pocket.

"Now let me see yours," he said afterward.

Heh, this one got brain.

I shrugged and answered, "Sorry to say that I don't have one."

The calm one looked at me for a few seconds before saying, "This is your first time, so it's still understandable. You can return to your class without penalty, but if we caught you outside again, we will immediately give you a penalty."

Shrugging again, I just replied him with, "Whatever," and returned to my class. The other one were more upset, complaining the calm one's decision. But they left the area anyway.

Disciplinary Committee, huh? Looked like being one of them could give me some advantages around the Garden. Interesting….

I can't believe the line I saw at the cafeteria when lunch time came. Looked like everybody at Garden ate here.

After receiving my meal, I went to a desk and sat myself there.

"The seat's taken," I heard somebody said so.

I turned my head to my left. A girl about my age with long blonde hair sat there.

"I didn't see anyone here when I came," I replied, opening the wrapping of my cheeseburger.

"I reserved the seat for my friend!" she said again.

I looked around the table. "Sorry, but I didn't see any sign saying 'Reserved' on this table," I replied her again, taking a bite on my cheeseburger.

She got up angrily.

"You are -" she can't finish her words since her girl friend showed up and stopped her.

"Stop it, Quistis! Let's just find another table," her friend told her.

"But Chile!"

Her friend shook her head. "Don't waste your time with him, Quistis."

She looked angrily at me for a few seconds, then picked up her tray and left the table with her friend. I can finally eat my lunch in peace.

There was some free time until my next class. Maybe I'll go take a peek at the labs and see if there's anything interesting there.

But when I walked on the outer area of the Garden's yard, a group of kids, maybe a couple of years older, showed up and blocked my path.

"You're Seifer Almasy, aren't you?" asked one of them.

I smiled and answered, "I don't know I'm famous."

He smiled also.

"You're the brat that hurt my brother huh?" he asked again.

My eyebrows were lifted. "Um, which weakling was your brother? I've met a lotta them during this past few days so -" he grabbed my uniform's collar before I finished my words.

"Weakling you say? Well, maybe right now you'll learn that you're one of those weaklings yourself," finishing his words, his friends started to surround me.

I smiled again.

"So you too agree that everyone who wants to be a Garden cadet must be strong. Good. I finally found someone to share my ideas with."

Hearing me, he smiled too.

"Let's share those ideas then."

Right after his sentence, one of his friends punched my back waist.

Heh.

"Seifer! What happened to you?"

Instructor Lambada quickly approached me when I entered the classroom. It seemed he was surprised seeing the bruises and scars on my face and my busted uniform. But I just gave him a shrug and smiled.

"Nothing, Instructor. Just doing some exercises," I answered.

Then turned my head toward the classmate that tried to stop me to get out of the class on the previous noon. He got a bruise on his right arm. Looked like he got that when I pushed him earlier.

Smiling, I approached him and handed a student ID card, whispering, "Your brother sent you his regards."

His face turned pale hearing it.

"By the way, you might want to get him and his friends to infirmary soon," I said again, still whispering.

He instantly got up and ran out of the class.

"Ross! Where are you going?" Instructor Lambada tried to call him but that kid just ran passed him and out the door.

Instructor then turned his face to me. "What happened here, Seifer?" he asked, obviously upset.

I lifted both of my hands. "Why do you ask me, Instructor? You should've asked Ross if you want to know why he left the class," I answered, walking toward my seat and sat there, ignoring the angry instructor.

A girl that sat on a desk right next to mine told me to go to the infirmary to heal my injuries, but I just smiled ignoring her. These wounds were nothing. The bruises and scars I got today were the marks toward accomplishing my goal.

I will be the strongest SeeD around and I will defeat anyone and anything that comes my way.

It's Saturday, so I got no classes. I've seen some SeeDs running around but with no actions inside Garden. Thanks to the tight policy of no weapon and magic outside training ground. Damn, it'll still next year till I can get a hold on gunblades.

There's an event on the quad. Some season celebration party. Going there, I was hoping I could see some attractions, maybe a show of magic casting at least. But other than music stage and food stands, no fighting skills were shown anywhere.

Unaware with where I was going, I found myself near one of the corner of the quad. There's a bunch of kids around my age, fighting. Looked like the one with silver hair in the middle was being surrounded by the others and being the target of the beating.

Seeing the uniform, the silver haired was a girl.

She's not bad, but still loosing the fight. Then one of the kids realizing I was standing near them and turned toward me.

"Hay, we have another target here, guys," he said.

Two of the kids have grabbed the girl's both arms, not allowing her to move freely anymore. The rest of them approached me.

"Too bad you have to show up here," one of them said, "we're in the mood of beating someone right now."

I smiled.

"Really? So am I," I replied calmly.

But they talk bigger than they acted. Six against one and I still can make them running away. The other two that hold the girl also ran away when I stepped closer to them. Leaving the girl and me.

The girl looked at me and said, "You shouldn't have helped me. They'll be back anyway."

I punched her right in her nose, throwing her a meter backward, falling to the floor.

She held her bleeding nose and looked at me with surprise.

"No matter you're a boy or a girl, you gotta be strong if you wanna be a SeeD. Weakling like you has no use here."

I left after saying so.

There's nothing exciting today also, but at least there's a stress relief, thanks to those kids.

"It's not even two weeks since you've become a cadet here Seifer, but you've got injuries so many times already, while you haven't had the martial art training just yet. Whom did you fight with, Seifer?" Dr. Kadowaki complained while checking on a bruise I got on my right cheek.

I just smiled.

Finished tending my wounds, she told me again, "Seifer, by the time you reach sixteen, you can do the SeeD exam and fight all you want. But before that, please fight just when you're on a training."

Again, I just smiled and gave her a shrug before leaving the place.

I didn't want to go to the infirmary actually, but Instructor Lambada made it as an obligation to check yourself in to the infirmary if you had even the smallest scar. Such troublesome.

Lately there are more kids that tried to pick a fight with me. I always beat the crap out of them of course, but being a routine made the fight no longer fun for me. Now I'm bored of fighting, I wished I had learnt some magic and just burned them all at once. I was hoping there's at least someone who's as strong as I am so the fight would lasted long, but looked like unless they're the senior cadets, then they won't be my rival.

God, make this one year passed already!

Near the outer wall of Garden, I saw the silver haired girl again. With the same mob that attacked her the other day. Unlike the previous, she can now handle the fight pretty much. Not out winning, but also not loosing.

She had an even fight against five. Not bad for a girl.

But then one of them saw me and everyone ran away, knowing I would beat them to pulp again if they ever tried anything against me.

The girl didn't run away. She's still on her fighting stand. Then a second later, she threw a punch toward my face.

I dodged it and hit her stomach with my fist. She fell again. Coughing out of breath, she stood up once more and tried to hit me again. Still aiming my face. I can still dodge it and this time punched her face. She can avoid it a little and instead of hitting her nose, I hit her cheek. She's getting better than last week.

But I'm not in the mood of fighting too long, I continued it with another punch on her stomach again. This time she's down. Laying on the grass, she tried to catch her breath.

I was going to left her when she called me.

"Wait! You're Seifer, right?" she said.

I turned around. She got up to a sitting position and stared at me.

"I'm…, my name's Fuujin," she began to speak, pausing for a while to see if she caught my attention. When she saw I'm still listening, she continued, "You are strong, I admit that. And as you've said, I have to be strong if I wanted to be a SeeD. Right now, I'm not strong enough, but…. Eventhough we're not on the same class, but let me tag along with you, Seifer. I want to learn from you so I can be as strong as you are. You don't have to think of me as your friend or anything, just…."

She didn't continue her words, seeing I'm turning my back again to her.

But I didn't leave her yet.

"Just don't annoy me," I said after a minute, without looking at her.

I don't know how her face was when I said that, but she looked happy when she stood next to me. She was just smiling a little, but her face definitely looked really happy.

Damn, why am I turning soft like this?

"I won't annoy you, Seifer. Never."

Smiling, she made a promise. I just shrugged and left the area with her beside me.

Fuujin was a quiet girl. Maybe that's why the boys liked to harassed her. I noticed that when I passed her class unintentionally this noon. Her friends were chatting with each other, but Fuujin only stood quietly just outside the door. When she saw me passing, she quickly approached me, smiling softly like the first time.

She said nothing, only walking on the same pace next to me. She didn't even ask where I was going. She just followed me. Just like what she had said, she tried not to annoy me and just tagging me along quietly.

"That's all, Seifer. Return here with the report from your Instructor at fifteen hundred hours," Instructor Yuka told me.

I didn't know why Instructor Lambada made me in charge of the class' daily report for this whole week. I guess he's still upset with me. Who cares.

Again, another long line formed at the cafeteria's ordering counter. Man, if only I had my own gils, I'd rather buy my lunch at the vending machine. Maybe it won't taste as good as the cafeteria's food, but at least I didn't have to trouble myself by waiting in line like this.

Since Fuujin followed me this noon, I felt somebody else was also following me. Even now. I glimpsed at the line behind me, and found the kid that's tailing me. He was a boy with dark hair. I'm guessing he was Fuujin's classmate since that's where he started to followed me.

"Fuujin," I called her that was standing after me.

She looked up to me.

"The boy with dark hair and blue vest behind us, you know him?" I asked. If Fuujin can make him to go away, I don't have to bother myself to beat him. I'm in bad mood since this morning, I might hurt him seriously if I fight the kid. If I did that, Instructor Lambada might add my misery with another pile of tasks. Tch.

Fuujin looked behind her, searching the boy I told her. Founding him, she turned her face again to me and nodded.

"He is Raijin, my classmate."

Just as I suspected.

"He's been trailing me since I passed your class today. I'm not in the mood of fighting right now, so tell him to go and challenge me some other time," I asked her again.

Nodding, Fuujin walked out of the line and approached the kid. But before Fuujin can get to him, he suddenly ran away.

Good.

At least I can have my lunch peacefully.

"Hi, Fuujin!" suddenly a voice called her after I received my meal. The blonde girl the other day. She approached Fuujin and then realizing me next to her.

"Fuujin, you shouldn't befriend him! Seifer Almasy was nothing but trouble!" she told her immediately.

I smiled hearing her.

"So she should be hanging around a noisy one like you, huh?"

"Noisy is better than a strife like you," she replied quickly. But I've left her already, ignoring her. Fuujin followed me, also ignoring her.

"I'm sorry, Seifer," Fuujin suddenly apologized when she sat herself on the bench on the other side of the desk. I lifted my face from my spaghetti.

"She was Quistis Trepe, also my classmate. She was the class' best and liked by everyone including the instructor, so…," she stopped her sentences, seeing I lifted my palm in front of her face.

"Fuujin, just eat your lunch. I know today a lot of your classmates are bugging me, but I still have to collect Instructor Lambada's report to be given to Instructor Yuka, so I don't wanna care with that boy or that girl or anyone else at this moment. I just want to finish my lunch and hope today will be over soon," I told her, lazily.

She nodded and began eating her curry.

I'm just not in the mood for anything today.

But that Raijin kid was a persistent one. It's been three days since he had following me around and it started to annoy me. I better end this once and for all.

I was going to do that, but he beat me to it. He showed up when I was just resting at the back yard.

"You're Seifer Almasy, huh? I've heard rumors about you, but looked like you're too small to be my match," he laughed after saying so.

He did actually was bigger than me. Although, I never considered size for strength. Getting up, I saw him glimpsing to Fuujin. Don't tell me this kid is…. Ah, whatever. I felt like fighting anyway, so it's good to found an opponent. Whatever his true intention was.

Smiling, I said, "So you've finally decided to show your face. I thought you'll never gonna come out from your hiding."

I hope he won't be as boring as the others.

And he was. My punch usually hit harder than right now, but it seemed he had better defense than my previous opponents. Receiving his punch, I felt that he also had stronger attacks than anyone I've fought earlier. Now this is better.

But it didn't mean he's a hard opponent.

First, he's too slow. Two of my punches hit him before he can reply it. Second, his reflect wasn't too good either. I dodged a lot of his attacks while he only can one or two of mine. Third, he didn't think. He just punched and kicked randomly, not reading my moves.

Too bad.

My elbow hit him between his eyes, making him thrown a meter away. Falling next to where Fuujin's standing.

I smiled, mocking him.

He looked angry seeing me. Shouting, "Damn it!" before rushing toward me once more.

Good. Keep that spirit up so I can fight you longer, Raijin. Looked like I can really measure my strength by fighting you.

It was the longest fight I've ever done. He's finally down after receiving an array of my punch on his stomach, elbow on his chess and another punch on his jaw. Damn, I never had a fight this exciting before.

He got up slowly and kneeled down on the grass, holding his stomach.

Eventhough he's still looking at me with eyes that said, "I'm not lost yet!" but I know he can't move anymore. This fight is over.

"Fuujin," I called Fuujin. During the fight, she was just standing silently under a tree, observing my fight.

"Go to infirmary and tell Dr. Kadowaki that some patients are coming," I told her. She nodded and left toward the infirmary.

I wiped some blood on the corner of my lips and dusted some dirt off my uniform.

"Why didn't you help her when she was attacked?"

Raijin was surprised to hear my question. He stared at me deeply without saying a word.

"I know there's a kid that's watching when she was attacked the other day. Not until now I realized that kid was you," I said again.

He's surprised one more. A slight blush appeared. Oh great, don't tell me this kid really is….

"I helped her once before," focusing his eyes to the ground underneath him, he finally opened his mouth without looking at me.

"But then she said it was annoying and she refused to talk to me again."

He looked at me this time.

"When you hit her the first time, I actually wanted to pay you back for it afterward. But as soon as you left, she… smiled."

He lowered his head again.

"I don't know why she can smile after receiving a punch like that, but on the next days she seemed to be practicing her moves, as if she wanted to pay you back herself. But then you beat her again."

He paused. Fixing his sitting position and leaned his body to the bushes behind him. Beginning to laugh a little.

"And that's when she started to be together with you. Damn it, the way I lost from you, there's nothing I can do to…," he stopped his talking and laughing, realizing I was advancing to him.

I grabbed his uniform's collar and said, "We're not 'together' okay? She was just following me around and that's all."

This time, he's the one grabbing my uniform. With a very happy face.

"Really? You two are not together and…," I punched him on his nose before he can finish the sentence.

That time Fuujin returned.

"The fight's still not over, Seifer?" she asked, seeing me punching Raijin.

But Raijin laughed. Real hard.

Standing up and still laughing, he answered Fuujin, "Ahahaha, it's over, Fuujin! I lost! Totally lost! Seifer is a lot more stronger than me!"

I was going to hit him again seeing he's that noisy, but Fuujin suddenly kicked his ankle.

"Ouch!" he shrieked, didn't see it coming, "What was that for?" he protested.

"Don't annoy Seifer with that noise!" she replied, angrily.

"What?" he was going to protest again, but another kick from Fuujin on his ankle once more stopping his protest and turned it to a scream of pain.

That's when I started to laugh.

I can't believe this.

Fuujin and Raijin looked at me in confuse seeing me laughing. But I don't care.

I just don't care.

"Today's the day huh, Seifer?"

Fuujin and Raijin looked at me with a smile on their face.

Since the fight, not only Fuujin that hang around with me, but also Raijin. Without realizing it, the three of us have been together ever since.

Now, a year had passed. I am now at my second year at Balamb Garden.

Just like what Raijin said, today's the day. The day when I'll started to really learn the good stuffs here. Training, magic, and gunblades.

I smiled.

Finally I can get my hands on one of those gunblades. Finally I can feel how it feels to be the Knight of Gunblade. Finally I can be another step closer toward my dream.

Finally.

Today, is when all the real fun will actually begin.


	4. The Lamb That Dances Before The Winds

**ALL THE LAMBS**

A Final Fantasy VIII Fanfiction

Written by: Arm

November 2008

**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

The Lamb That Sleeps Within The Storm

The Lamb That Run Alongside The Spirits

The Lamb That Walks Toward The Sun

The Lamb That Dances Before The Winds

The Lamb That Smiles Upon The Moon

The Lamb That Leaps Over The Sky

The Shepherd That Lost The Lambs

The Princess That Caught A Lamb

**THE LAMB THAT ****DANCES BEFORE THE WINDS**

I stared at her painting with amaze.

"This is really awesome, Swan!" I praised her. Still unbelieving there's a snow mountain as beautiful as her painting. And that mountain was just the same old mountain I saw everyday, located just behind this small town. How in the world she can made it looked that pretty?

She smiled happily hearing it.

"Thanks, Selphie!"

I sat on her bed and asked, "That's the painting you're going to enter to that contest in Timber, rite?"

Nodding, Swan put the painting's cover back.

"The deadline's next week, but you know how long the postal take to deliver anything out of this cold continent," she answered, complaining a bit.

I giggled.

"Let's go to the post office then, I'll help you carry it!" I said eagerly, getting up from the bed.

Swan laughed before replying, "Selphie, it's only seven. The post office opens on eight."

Realizing that, I punched my own forehead and giggled again.

"Sorry, I was too excited imagining it would win the contest!" I said, a bit embarrassed with my clumsiness.

She laughed again. "Winning it? You're exaggerating, Selph!" she shyly sway her hand on the canvas.

But I shook my head strongly and replied, "No, Swan! This is really beautiful! There's no way you can't win it with this!"

Swan chuckled. "Thanks, Selph. I don't know whether I'll win the contest or not, but just hearing that from you have made me feel really happy."

Then she gazed the view outside her window.

"Being an artist was something my family would never let me do, so none of them like it to see me painting."

She turned back to me and smiled.

"That's why I'm happy to have you to support me."

I can feel my tears coming. But I wiped it immediately, didn't want to embarrass myself again in front of Swan.

Swan was five years older than me. The first time I saw her was when she was painting at the town's center a couple of months ago. She asked me to be her model and when she's done, everybody said the painting didn't look like me at all. In her painting, was a beautiful red haired girl with a pretty smile. Seeing it, I too didn't believe it was me.

That time, Swan just chuckled hearing me asking her whether it was really me or another girl that she painted.

But from there, I can tell how Swan looked this world.

From Swan's eyes, everything in this world was beautiful. Every forest was enchanting and every desert was charming. Every mountain was fascinating and every ocean was captivating. Every girl was pretty and every boy was handsome.

She always saw us on our best. That's why her paintings continuously showed such beauty.

Since then, I always admired her and happy I can be her friend.

At eight, we went to the post office and sent Swan's "Diamond Peak" to Timber. Everyday after, I can't stop praying, "God, please let Swan won the contest."

My heart was pounding real hard when I received the magazine. A week after the deadline, the result for the painting contest Swan entered finally announced on Timber Maniacs' latest edition. And after breaking my kittybank, I just bought that magazine from the news stand.

"God, please let Swan be the winner! Please let Swan be the winner!" I know I said that praying out loud and might confuse everyone around me, but I don't care. If Swan won it, her family might be happy with it and they won't complain Swan again.

With the beating of my heart goes very fast, I opened the page where the announcement was.

And….

"Hi, Auntie!" I greeted when Swan's mom opened the door.

She smiled seeing me. Looked like she's in a good mood today. She usually didn't really like it to see me coming, knowing I encouraged her daughter's dream of becoming an artist.

"Swan's on her room, Selphie," she told me, closing the door back.

I nodded and thanked her before going upstairs.

"Swan, it's me, Selphie!" I called while knocking her room's door.

Swan opened the door, smiling as usual. "Hei, Selph!" she greeted.

"Have you read the Timber Maniacs yet?" I rushed into her room.

But my excitement was fading a bit when I saw her room. There were some luggages prepared beside her bed.

I didn't know Swan was about to go somewhere.

"No, I haven't, Selphie. Don't tell me you've bought the magazine already?" she replied me, awaking my reverie.

I opened the announcement page and showed it to her.

"Second place?" she took the magazine, disbelieving her eye sight. She read it over and over before she finally believed it.

I just chuckled seeing her.

"I got second place, Selphie!" she started to laughed and hugged me joyously. I hugged her back with such happiness.

"Congrats, Swan!" I congratulate her.

"Thank you, Selphie! It's all thanks to you, if you don't cheer me up all the time…," tears began falling from her eyes.

I can felt mine's falling too.

"O c'mon, Swan! It's all thanks to yourself! You won because you are the best painter in this whole Trabia!"

We had a laughed, cried and laughed again.

She handed back the magazine and said, "I'm going to buy this Timber Maniacs after I arrived at Trabia Garden tomorrow."

Her words startled me.

"Trabia Garden? What are you going to do there? Paint the SeeDs?" I joked her.

Swan looked at me softly. Then smiled.

"No, Selph. I'm going to be a cadet there."

I can't believe my hearing.

"W-what? A cadet? But-why?" I asked her in surprise. Not happy at all. Being a cadet means being a soldier. Being a soldier means going to a war. Why would Swan wanted to do that?

Swan sat on her bed. Gazing the view outside her window once more.

"My parents didn't like it if I become a painter, but…, SeeD is an elite mercenary. It may be dangerous, but…, it's elite."

She then looked at me.

"I'm the one who proposed that to my parents, Selph."

I shook my head, "But why do you wanna be a SeeD?"

Swan smiled.

"I'm tired, Selph. I'm tired of having to fight my parents all the time."

She paused.

"When I told them I'd become a SeeD, at first they were worried, but I convinced them it'll be okay."

She took a breath before continuing, "If I entered Garden, I'll be…, I'll be away from here, Selph. Away from my parents. I don't have to fight them anymore and it didn't mean I'll stop painting. I can still paint when I'm not at school. And… I can actually paint all that I want without have to worrying I'll fight with my parents again about it."

"My parents will be happy because they thought I'll stop painting if I become a cadet and I'll be happy because I don't have to stop painting if I'm there."

I can understand her reasons. I can. But….

"That means you'll be away from me too, Swan."

I tried to wipe my tears to prevent them falling more, but I can't stop my cry. I don't want to see Swan off by crying, but….

Swan got up from the bed and hugged me.

"I'll write to you, Selphie," she said. I just nodded in my cry.

"I promise," she said again. I can only nodded again.

That noon, Swan left to Trabia Garden.

"My dearest friend Selphie," Swan started her e-mail with those words.

It's been a moth since Swan left and made me worry sick about her. But this morning, her e-mail arrived and vanishing all my worries.

"Sorry it took me a month before I can e-mail you. But I'm fine here. How about you? Don't catch yourself a cold by playing too long outside, okay?"

I giggled a bit reading that part. Swan still remembered the day I got a cold when I'm too busy making a parade of snowmen on the town's street.

"Living in the dorm was so much fun. My roommate was so energetic, she reminded me a lot of you. You and her will make a good friends."

Giggling again, I can't believe she met another 'Selphie' there. I hope that Selphie won't be as troublesome as this Selphie.

"The views outside and inside Trabia Garden was beautiful. The mountains, the snowfield, the Garden's park, and everything else was so beautiful, I can't stop painting them. I've made three paintings already while I've just here for a week."

Starting from this part, Swan told me how she loved being a cadet. The lessons and trainings were tiresome but she enjoyed the fact that she can paint at will with no worries. She was happy there.

I closed the e-mail and signed out from my account. I'm glad Swan felt happy there.

"Selphie! C'mon, let's play!" a small snowball was thrown to my bedroom window. I opened the window and saw Lira outside.

"I'll be right down, Lira!" I shouted back.

"Have you got any news from Swan yet?" Lira asked in the middle of our snow war.

I threw a snowball toward Kiki. It hit right in her face.

"Bull's eye!" I shouted in my laugh. Kiki yelled in upset before moving out of the battle field.

"I got an e-mail from her this morning," I answered Lira while hiding in our snow fort, avoiding the incoming snowballs from Jack's team.

"Really? How was she doing?" asked Mel, going out of the fort and threw a snowball toward Jack, but Jack managed to dodge it. Jack was really good in snow wars.

"She said the training was hard there but she got a nice roommate so she was pretty much happy there," I replied, making new stock of snowballs and put it in our middle.

Of course, I can't tell anybody else that Swan continued to paint there. They might say it to Swan's parents. I won't allow them to stop Swan's happiness. Swan loved painting and I will do all that I can to keep that one thing that made Swan happy.

"Ouch!" Lira was hit, leaving just me and Mel now.

Ducking in our fort, Mel and me planned our final strategy.

"So, now Jack's alone and we're still two. Should we charge him?" I asked him.

"Wait, I have a better plan."

He whispered something to my ear. Giggling, I nodded quickly and grabbed the remaining snowballs.

"Armed and ready to go!" we giggled a bit.

I stand up and start charging Jack with every snowball in my hand. Jack kept his head low behind his fort, but I didn't stop my attacks. Then when the rain of snowballs stopped, Jack realized that I'm run out of ammo and got out of his hiding, ready to charge me back.

That's when Mel showed up. When I was attacking Jack, Mel was moving quietly toward Jack's fort and hide right in front of it. When Jack's head was shown, he quickly threw a snowball toward him. Jack didn't expect it and unable to dodge it. It him right in his forehead.

"Fore!" Mel shouted.

I laughed and ran toward Jack's team's fort, grabbed their flag. Making him, Kiki and Yoan grumbled.

"Alrite! Selphie's team won!" I yelled, laughing.

"Wait, Selph! It's Lira's team!" Lira protested.

We all just laughed.

It was just another regular day for us.

Swan sent her e-mail just once a month. I guess she was really busy being a cadet. But even once a month was enough for me. All I need to know was her being happy.

"Selphie, it's been three years now since I entered Trabia Garden," she started this month's e-mail with the sentence.

I looked at the calendar to realize that it has been that long.

"Tomorrow I will have my first SeeD exam."

SeeD exam? Meaning she'll be a SeeD if she passed it? Meaning she'll be… going to battles?

"At first, I was a bit nervous. If I passed the exams, I'll become an official member of the SeeD army. I'll be sent to battles around the world."

So Swan shared the same thought. Swan will finally face the real danger if she became a SeeD.

"But then I got happy, Selph. You know why?"

What? Happy? Of what?

"When realizing I'll be sent to some part of this world, that means I might be going to a place I never been to. I can paint the beautiful places I've never dreamt of before. I'm a pretty strong soldier, at least that's what my friends told me, so as long as I can survived the battles, I can go everywhere and paint everything! When I think about that thought, it made me can't wait for the exam and can't stop praying hoping I would pass it."

I cried finished reading that part. There's only painting on Swan's mind now, she didn't care about anything else. Even the danger she will face as a SeeD. All she wanted was to paint. But if that made her happy, I shouldn't be crying like now. I should smile as wide as the sky and reply her e-mail with a supporting one.

The rest of the e-mail was Swan's list of places she wishes to visit. She already planned everything it looked like. I began to chuckle reading the list. Now Swan's dream had expanded. She didn't only want to paint, but she also wanted to travel around the world and see the world with her own two eyes. She wanted to be the witness of God's beautiful creations.

That was just like Swan to be like that.

I leaned on my chair, thinking of what should I write to reply her e-mail.

What Swan will do might be dangerous from our point of view, but what she will do was something that will make her happy. I know I will lose her for good if something ever happened to her, but what rights do I have to stop her from being happy? Swan might not care about dangers now, and maybe I should be the one that's reminding her about it now, but if I think of it that way, won't I be the same as her parents that cannot understand her and can only saying 'no'es?

Does Swan's wellbeing supposed to be more important than her feelings? If Swan thought that her happiness were far more important than her safety, wasn't it mean that the rest of us should felt that way too? It's Swan's life, she's supposed to be the one that will decide the route she'll take because she'll be the one walking on it. So if Swan already decided her way, shouldn't we supported her and pray that the road she chooses is the one that will bring her happiness?

I know everybody might think I'm crazy if I supported her to go on battles, but I didn't support her battles, I supported her to go travels. I want to think of it that way. That way, I will have no problem of encouraging her.

I've decided on what I'll write to her.

"Swan, may you can go to all the places you wanted to go and may you can paint happily there.

I will always pray for you."

The next day, I received another e-mail from Swan. I was wondering, since she usually just writes once a month.

"I passed the written test, Selph!"

I giggled reading it. She was so excited, she directly told me that without any opening words.

Swan told me she'll have her actual combat test by next week. She also told me that the combat test will be consisting of three cadets per squad, a group test. She hoped she can get along with her team members and not slowing them down. But before the combat test, she will have another test of collecting a GF tomorrow. If she can win and got the GF, she'll be considered ready for the combat test. Swan will be accompanied by her instructor, Instructor Ivan, during the GF test.

She told me a lot more. Swan was really excited with all this, making her e-mail became pretty long. I can't stop smiling reading it. I don't even understand what she meant with 'combat test' or 'GF' or any other technical stuffs she mentioned, but she didn't even explain it for me on this e-mail while she usually did on her previous ones. She was way too keyed up with the idea of being a SeeD and being able to travels, she can't stop telling me the stories.

I'm happy for you too, Swan.

"Hay, Selph! Swan's mom told my mom that Swan passed the SeeD's written test," asked Zuree, the grocery store's owner's son that's two years younger than me but already helping his mother out on handling the store.

I responded with a nod.

"She did. Isn't she great?" I replied him quickly. Browsing around, I found the oranges I'm looking for and packed them on a plastic bag.

"So she's a SeeD now, huh?" he asked again. Zuree received the orange's plastic bag and weight it on the scale. He pulled out one to round it to a kilo then returned the bag to me.

"Not yet, Zu. She have to pass another test next week, then she'll be a SeeD," I answered him again.

There seemed to be sparks on Zuree's eyes, "Which mean there'll be a SeeD from our town huh, Selph? Swan's gonna be famous!" he said, full of admiration.

I laughed, handing him two hundred gils, which is the price for a kilo of oranges, and asked, "So you wanna be a SeeD too then, Zu?"

Smiling shyly, Zuree shook his head, "Nah, don't think I can. I'm just gonna run this grocery here," he replied with a grin.

Chuckling, I waved him goodbye and left the grocer.

Not only Zuree, but the other kids also knew Swan passed yesterday's written test. Looked like Swan's mom told everybody in town.

Like Swan had told me, her parents were happy with her becoming a SeeD. They saw the prestige of being an elite soldier like that. Unknowing that their daughter still keep on painting even as a cadet. I hope they would never know that Swan was still painting so Swan and her parents could go along like now forever.

"So Swan's a grown up now, ha?" mumbled Lira.

I turned my head to her.

"What do you mean, Lir?" Mel asked the same question I wanted to ask.

"Um, Swan already know what she wanted to be, right. She wanted to be a SeeD. Then Swan's going to be a SeeD next week if she passed the exam. Wouldn't that means Swan's a grown up?"

I laughed and replied, "Just coz somebody knew already what he or she wanted to be and then being able to achieve it, didn't mean he or she is a grown up."

But Mel looked thinking, "But my dad told me the same thing, Selph. When a kid knew what he or she wanted to be when he or she grows up, it means that kid is going to be a grown up."

I looked at him. I think mom told me about it too once.

"Do you know what you wanted to be when you've grown up, Selph?"

Lira's question made me thinking.

"No, actually, I haven't thinking about what I'm going to be when I grow up," I answered her question honestly after thinking for a couple of seconds.

"Selphie won't be a grown up until the next zillion years!" suddenly Kiki showed up, saying it while laughing.

I threw a snowball at her but she avoided it, still laughing.

"I'll be a grown up before you, Kiki! You're a year below me!" I replied her fast, annoyed.

But Jack also showed up and laughed also.

"Age didn't count when it's about growing up, Selphie. A grown up knew that," he acted wisely.

"You said that coz you're the oldest here, meaning you'll be the first one to be an old granddad!" I answered him, doing an old man with a walking stick acting.

Jack's face got red and he quickly threw a snowball at me, which hit my shoulder. I just laughed, falling down.

"Then what you wanna do when you've grown up, Jack?" Lira asked him afterward.

Jack looked thinking before replying, "I wanna be a carpenter!"

"Carpenter? Like Mister Anson?" I asked him again after getting up.

Nodding, Jack said again, "Yeah. He can make all the houses and buildings here right? I'm gonna make better ones!"

"I thought you wanna be a fisherman, like your dad," said Mel.

"Nah, I don't like fishing, but John do," he said, turning his head toward his little brother that was playing by her mom's side on the grocery's front.

"I wanna be a singer when I've grown up!" Kiki suddenly yelled that.

"I wanna be a nurse," added Lira.

"I guess I wanna be a doctor," Mel said next.

"You wanna be a doctor so you can stay together with Lira, huh?" teased Jack. Mel's face got red.

"That's not why!" he protested, still blushing.

Then everybody started to tell their dreams and why they wanted to be one.

It made me thinking. I haven't really know what I'm going to be when I've grown up. Everybody's dreams sounded nice, but I don't have any interest to be any of it either.

What am I going to be when I've grown up?

I told Swan the dreams of the children told me and my question about what I'm going to be growing up. This time Swan replied my e-mail quickly. She said, "Not everybody can know their dream since childhood, a lot just figured they dream after they've grown up. So it's nothing you should be worry about, Selph. As long as you stay as yourself, you'll find your dream sooner or later."

I nodded, eventhough I know Swan can't see me nodding. But I believed Swan. If she say so, then it must be true.

I just have to be myself and someday I'll found my dream.

The day for Swan's final exam finally arrived. Everybody in town can't stop discussing whether she'll pass it or not. But the day after, Swan's mom was busy yelling, "She's a SeeD! She's a SeeD!" so the rest of the townsfolk knew it for sure that Swan passed as a SeeD.

I received her e-mail not long after the ruckus and began reading it.

"Hi, Selph. I'm guessing you've heard from my mom that I passed the test, huh?" I chuckled reading her first part of the e-mail.

"Well, I did. I'm surprised myself, but I did pass it. Only three cadets graduated as SeeDs this year and I'm lucky to be one of them. My roommie didn't join this year's test because she didn't have enough credits but I think she'll be the one that passed too if only she joined."

She then began telling me of how the test was. A lot has happened during the test. Also, the test wasn't run at Trabia, but at Balamb Garden as the central Garden so she have to went there first just to have a SeeD exam. She said after going to Balamb, they went again to Galbadia. She already traveled to two continents for just a test. I guess the test was really hard.

Swan told me how she's excited to be able to traveling like that. From Trabia to Balamb she went on a ship, then from Balamb to Galbadia she's on a submarine.

"Wow!" I mumbled it instantly, reading she's going on a submarine. I never saw a real life one before, but Swan can ride in it!

Then some more stories that made me can't move my eyes from the monitor. I can understand clearly now how Swan would felt. Not only she can go travel everywhere, she can do and on a lotsa stuffs too. Being a SeeD maybe hard, but it also sounded like fun.

It really did sound like fun.

"A SUBMARINE?" Yoan echoed me, with a much more louder voice.

Everyone's eyes were glittered everywhere.

"Yeah, cool huh?" I uttered it proudly.

"Yeah, it's REALLY cool!" Jack quickly replied me.

"Then, when will she returns here?" Mel asked.

I shook my head.

"Not soon. She didn't get a day off, even after the test. I guess she can only returns here if there's a SeeD mission nearby," I answered, guessing a bit.

Lira sighed, "That busy, ha?"

I nodded, smiling in understand how they felt.

Swan's a full pledged SeeD now, I guess she'll start traveling soon. And she'll be able to paint lotsa things too. I haven't seen her painting since she left, I kinda missed it.

Three days later, another e-mail from Swan came.

"Dear Selphie, I'm going on my first SeeD mission tomorrow. Wish me luck, okay?"

It's only three days after graduating but already Swan's on a mission. Seemed on this era of war a lotta people needed SeeD's help.

"Remember when I told you I painted a lot when I'm still a cadet?" reflect, I nodded when reading that question.

"Well, don't tell anybody, but I sent some of them to Timber Maniacs. Under a fake name of course. And they featured a painting of mine in it! I'm glad I sent it."

What? What edition? Why didn't Swan tell me about this sooner? I wanna buy it! I can't concentrate on her e-mail anymore, rushing toward the news stand, asking to see any Timber Maniacs edition he got.

The latest one was the only one there but when I opened it, I saw the most amazing blue sky I've ever seen.

It's Swan's. I know it instantly even without reading the painter's name. I can tell because only Swan can paint anything as beautiful as this. Running home with the Timber Maniacs, I hid it under my mattress, hoping nobody but me realized it was Swan's painting.

Swan had become an incredible painter, a SeeD, and soon she'll be a traveler too. Swan, I truly envy you. I hope I'll found my happiness too like you have found yours.

It had been six months since Swan became a SeeD. Her e-mails didn't come frequently ever since. It's understandable though, since she have to go on a lotsa missions. But everytime she wrote an e-mail, she told me about so many stuffs.

Reading her e-mails made me thinking that traveling was something so much fun to do. Not only seeing new places, also meeting new people, doing new things, and more. Now, everytime reading her e-mail about a new place, I wished I could go there too.

Swan, I think I wanna be a traveler too.

I was playing Triple triad with Lira and Mel just outside Lira's house when a car running through the main street. There were Swan's parents inside it.

Swan's mom was crying.

That's when I felt something terrible had happened.

I hurrying home, ignoring Lira's and Mel's calling. But there's no e-mail from Swan. There's one e-mail though, that I can't recognize who the sender was, but it's domain was the same as Swan's Trabia Garden's e-mail domain that she used sometimes when her own e-mail provider was having trouble.

Maybe it's Swan's new e-mail. Maybe Swan's changing her e-mail address. Maybe her parents were not crying over her, but to another stuff. Maybe I was just imagining things.

Thinking of those maybes, I opened the e-mail.

"Dear Selphie Tilmitt."

It wasn't from Swan. Swan won't call me by full name like this.

"You maybe didn't know who I am, but I'm Swanitia Lonfreign's roommate."

It took me a couple of seconds of thinking before remembering that 'Swanitia Lonfreign' was Swan's full name.

"She told me a lot about you. You were her bestest friend."

Wait, what did she mean with 'were'?

"I know this e-mail address from her journal. I wasn't supposed to open it, I know. But she told me it's okay if something ever happened to her."

What? What did she mean with 'something happened to her'? What happened to Swan?

"You might be wondering with that previous sentence, but Garden only tell the news to her parents and not others. I believe you have to know it too, Selphie."

What news? Know what?

"Selphie, on her last mission, Swanitia was reported as missing."

MISSING?

"It's been a week since her search, with no avail. I didn't know the details, but Swanitia is now officially considered as… deceased."

I felt the world underneath my feet was spinning.

No, this can't be. Can't! It's only six months since Swan started traveling! She hadn't gone to Esthar Continent, she hadn't visited Timber Maniacs' publishing company, she hadn't done a lot! She can't be dead now! She CAN'T be dead!

I can't read her e-mail any further. My tears have fallen like a waterfall.

Swan can't be….

The news about Swan's death spread just in count of hours after her parents returned to the town. All the townsfolk visited her house to pay their condolences and came to her funeral. Swan's body can't be found by Garden, so there's only an empty casket when the funeral buried it under the tombstone with the name of Swanitia Lonfreign.

"I shouldn't have let her be a SeeD!" mourned her mom.

"We should've let her stay painting as she wishes to," grieved her dad.

Everybody was crying. But me.

I don't know why. Maybe it's coz I've been crying all day when Swan's roommate told me the news about Swan. I wanted to cry, yet my tears refused to came out from wherever it's hiding.

Returning to my room, I re-read all the e-mails Swan sent me. None of them had sad stories in it. Sometimes Swan complained how tiring it was at the school, but she's still happy. Sometimes Swan grumbling her mission that was too troublesome, but she's still happy.

She's happy.

Then a thought popped out in my mind.

Swan was missing, but maybe she's not dead. Maybe she's still alive somewhere, quitting as a SeeD and become a painter. Living alone. Happily.

Yes, maybe that was what really happened to Swan.

Even now, she's still happy, somewhere on this wide beautiful world.

Right, Swan?

"You wanna be a Garden cadet?" Mel looked shocked hearing me.

I just nodded.

"But… didn't you remember Swan? If something ever happened to you too…," Lira can't continue her words.

This time I smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll be just fine," I told them calmly.

But Mel shook his head.

"No! Selphie, how about your -"

"They said it's ok, if that's what I really wanted to do. They even had signed the application form!" I answered him quickly, still smiling.

"But-but… why? Why do you suddenly wanna be a SeeD?"

I shook my head and replied, "It's not 'suddenly', Mel. Remember our talk about what we wanna do after we've grown up? I've been thinking about it ever since. Long before Swan became a SeeD herself. Then after reading her e-mails, I've been thinking that maybe I wanted to go travel."

"Travel?" Lira cut my talk.

"If you wanna go traveling, you can be a normal traveler, Selph. You don't have to be a SeeD," she continued.

I chuckled.

"At first, I thought so too. But then I realized, if I became a SeeD, it's not only I can go traveling, I also can help save victims of war, I can secure this town from vandals, and I can go by a lot of means that cannot be used by a normal traveler, like that submarine Swan told us. Being a SeeD can give me a lot and I can give a lot too," I tried to explain my reasons.

"But you'll face the same danger as Swan…," Lira began crying.

"Maybe. And maybe not. Who knows?"

Mel and Lira stared at me deeply.

"Are you sure, Selphie?"

I nodded with a smile.

"I'm really-really-really sure," I answered them certainly.

"When will you be admitted to Garden?" Mel asked slowly.

"Tomorrow morning."

They were surprised once more.

"But-that's too soon!" Lira protested.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, "You make it sounded like I'm going away faraway forever! I'll write e-mails to you two, I'll also return here when I have a day off, and don't worry, I'll be alright! I promise!" I told them cheerfully.

Mel and Lira looked at me again. Then began to smile and give me a hug, whispering, "Good luck, Selphie."

On the next morning, a train took me to Trabia Garden.

Swan, I don't know whether you're still alive or not. I actually don't care whether you're alive or not. All I care about is for you to be happy.

I pray for your happiness, wherever you are.

Right now, I tried to make some happiness for myself and some more for those around me.

So Swan, wish me luck, okay?


	5. The Lamb That Smiles Upon The Moon

**ALL THE LAMBS**

A Final Fantasy VIII Fanfiction

Written by: Arm

November 2008

**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

The Lamb That Sleeps Within The Storm

The Lamb That Run Alongside The Spirits

The Lamb That Walks Toward The Sun

The Lamb That Dances Before The Winds

The Lamb That Smiles Upon The Moon

The Lamb That Leaps Over The Sky

The Shepherd That Lost The Lambs

The Princess That Caught A Lamb

**T****HE LAMB THAT SMILES UPON THE MOON**

"Irvine!"

I turned my head to my left, searching for the female voice's owner that just called me.

And found her.

"Good morning, Cheryl," I greeted her with a smile.

Cheryl smiled back and greeted me, "Good morning! Why are you leaving so early in the morning, Irvine?"

"Dad told me to help him out at the farm today," I answered, showing the rifle in my hand.

"What are you going to do with that?" she asked in surprised. Not every kids in this town are allowed to use guns.

I smiled again, "It's just a wind rifle, Cheryl. Dad found lotsa pests by the corn field and we may have to shoot 'em in sight to get rid of 'em."

Cheryl nodded in understanding.

"So you can use guns, Irvine?" she asked again.

Smiling, I replied, "Not really good, but I can a little."

Then I lifted my hat and said, "I'll see you later then, Cheryl," and left before our talk became too long and made Dad yelled at me for being late coming to the farm because of it.

"Good ridden, Irvine!" Dad yelled seeing my shot missed the Funguar I'm aiming at.

"You can shot a bull's eye on the shooting board ten times in a row and you can't even shot one Funguar that's sized ten times than that red dot?" he complained again.

Annoyed, I looked at him and replied, "Dad, I NEVER aimed a MOVING target before! Let me adjusting myself first, alrite?"

Dad just lifted both of his hands before starting to shot the Funguars again.

After my tenth shot, I finally shot a Funguar.

"Finally, Irvine! You're wasting ten bullets for just that one shot!"

"Oh shut up, Dad! At least I can shot a gun at the age you're still wearing diapers!" I replied him fast.

"What did you say? You dare talk to your old man like that?" Dad began turning toward me.

"You damn rite I dare to! So what? You want a fight?" I replied him once more.

And our fight ensued.

Again.

"BAHAHAHA!" old man Lou laughed hard seeing the bruises and scars on me and Dad when we returned home in the high noon.

Still laughing, he said, "You two got into another fight, huh?" and placed a band-aid over a scar on my forehead.

"Ouch! Careful a lil will ya, Lou?" I complained.

"Like father like son!" laughing more, Lou placed another band-aid on a cut on Dad's cheek.

"Damn, Lou! Gentler a bit!" Dad also complained.

Hearing the both of us complained, Lou got another loud laugh. We just turned our face away.

Lou then approached the cabinet and took a framed-photo from it.

"Gwendolyn, see what your boys are doing here," he said, showing the photo to us.

Quickly, me and Dad tried to grab that photo, but Lou managed to avoided us and returned the photo back to its place. Laughing again.

"Lou! I told you to leave Gwen out of this kinda thing!" Dad protested.

"Yeah, Lou! Mom got nothing to do with it!" I added.

But Lou kept on laughing.

"Seeing the two of you right now, Gwen will surely kick the both of you hard and fast once you guys met her up in heaven later," he said between his laugh and moved to the kitchen.

"Lou!" we complained more. Lou didn't stop his laugh.

Five minutes later, he finished preparing the meal on the dining table and called us for lunch.

Lou was Dad's friend that lived with us since… I don't know, forever I guess. I've known him since I can remember things. Lou's pair of legs had gone bad so he can't helping us out at the farm anymore and helped us around the house instead. I didn't really remember Mom since Dad told me she passed away when I was still a little kid. But Dad told me a lotta stories about Mom, making me felt like I knew her for my entire life.

One thing I remember most from Dad's stories was, "Irvine, appreciate a woman for she have to protect a life for nine months and then risk her own life to bring that new life to this world afterward. One time you messed with a woman, forever you'll lost your meaning as a man."

I may fought Dad a lot but Dad's a great man. I may not remembered Mom much but I know Mom's a great woman. I may got annoyed with Lou sometimes but Lou's a great friend. And I hope I can be a great person like them too when I've grown up.

"So, how's the hunting yesterday, Irvine?" asked Billy, the weapon shop's owner, seeing me walking in his store.

I smiled and replied, "Pretty good, Billy."

"Lou told me you got into another fight with Jim?" he asked again, mentioning Dad's name.

I put five hundred gil on Billy's counter that was at the same height as my chest before answering, "Yeah, well, Dad can't stop commenting about how I use the rifle."

Billy laughed a little hearing it then took the money. "Another bullets for Jim's Valiant, rite?" he asked, preparing a box of bullets. I nodded with a smile.

"But I must say Irvine, you're no older than Jesse here but you seemed to have no problem using a gun," he said while handing me the bullets. Jesse, his son that helped him cleaning up the store, lifted his head from the broom he's holding and smiled to me when hearing it.

I smiled again, receiving the bullets and put them on my rucksack. "I'm still learning, Billy. Jesse can beat me anytime if he wanted to, but looked like he's more like you, Billy. You two prefer to sell weapons rather than using it."

Billy laughed once more and the quiet Jesse just smiled wider.

"Thanks, Billy!" I lifted my hat and said him goodbye. Billy nodded with a smile.

"Hi, Irvine!" Irene greeted me when I walk passed her.

"Hi, Irene. You're looking pretty as ever," smiling, I complimented her.

Irene chuckled to hear me. "You said that to every girl you meet, Irvine!" she said, but with a slight blush on her cheek.

"No, I didn't," I protested and continued, "I only said it to the pretty girls."

She giggled again. That's when Cheryl and Linda came.

"Good day, Irvine," they greeted me in a choir.

I lifted my hat and greeted them back, "Good day, ladies. Looked like today's my lucky day to be able to meet such beauties like you all."

The three girls giggled and calling me as a sweet talker. But they know I always did that everytime I met them and they still liked to hear it anyway.

"Irvine, you're a kid, and they're a kid, so why don't you stop BS-ing like that all the time, huh?" Fred suddenly showed up, complaining.

I put on my hat back.

"I'm just trying to be nice, Fred. Maybe you should try it too sometimes so the girls won't be running away everytime they saw you."

The girls were laughing hearing it, but Fred got angry and fast he grabbed my shirt's collar.

"Why you lil -"

Fred can't continue his words since his sister Eliza that was four years older than him unexpectedly came and grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Freddy! How many times do I hafta tell you to stop fighting and start helping Pa instead?" she yelled.

"But Eliza!" he tried to protest, but Eliza just ignored him and keep dragged him away from us.

"Shut up, Fred! Talk to Pa if you wanna complain!" she told him then said to me, "Sorry about him, Irvine, girls!"

I smiled and replied, "Don't worry, Eliza. Have a nice day!"

She just waved at us and continued dragging Fred home.

Eliza was a bit tomboy, everybody knew that. She's good on using guns too. Unlike other young girls here, she can pretty much take care of herself. A pretty strong woman she'll be. Dad said Eliza was just like Mom when she's at her age. I smiled imagining Mom acting like Eliza just now.

"Are you going to your farm again, Irvine?" Cheryl's question made me returned my attention toward the three girls.

"Not today. I'm just gonna help Dad cleaning up the weapons back home," I answered.

"That reminds me, I heard you got into another fight with your dad?" Linda asked afterward.

Old man Lou was really fast with his tongue.

Smiling, I replied, "It's nothing serious. Just a usual cat-and-dog fight."

The girls chuckled.

"You and your Dad fought so many times, but you two are getting along better than my dad and my brother," commented Irene.

"They were, weren't they? I mean, your dad and Doug didn't get along at all," replied Linda, mentioning Irene's older brother.

Then the girls started to have their usual gossip talks. I decided it's time for me to leave.

"Well, I better run back home now. See you all later," I said them goodbye. The girls paused their talks and said goodbye to me in another choir before continuing their gossip.

It's been a year now since Dad taught me how to use a gun. Dad gave me a wind rifle since it's light and easier to use for a kid my size. He said I better not use the rifle as a toy or he'll gonna have a showdown personally with me.

"Hurry it up already, Irvine!" Dad called from the barn. We used the barn as the practice ground for my shooting training. Dad kept my wind rifle there and didn't allow me to use it unless for training. He counted yesterday's Funguar chase as a training, that's why I'm allowed to bring it outside the barn.

"Are we practicing again, Dad? But I thought you just want me to help you clean up the guns?" I asked him, a bit confused seeing him preparing the target board and the rifle.

Dad hand me the wind rifle and said, "I clean, you shoot."

I just received the rifle without further comment and prepared on a shooting position.

"Wait a sec!" Dad suddenly got up before I started.

He opened what seemed to be a sack and a Funguar showed up from inside.

"Dad! What's that doing here?" I asked in surprise.

"This lil fella here gonna help you practicing your aim, Irvine," he answered. He tied a rope to the target board. That's when I realized that there's a reeling now attached to that board, making it can move left and right if we pull the rope Dad just tied. But then Dad tied the other end of the rope to the Funguar's body.

"That lil critter will move in panic if it heard your rifle noise and it'll make the target move left or right in random. Pretty smart, huh?" Dad said.

I sighed. "But Dad, it'll also spew out poison spores, or paralysis spores, or sleep spores, or whatever dangerous stuffs it got and it might kill us!" I objected.

Dad hand me a scarf. "Then cover your nose and mouth with this," he told me. I sighed again. Dad sometimes got this crazy idea which oftenly made Lou yelled full-heartedly at us. I wondered if Mom also yelled at him when she's still alive.

But I just followed what he told me to do anyway. It's not like I have a better idea.

So, as Dad ordered, I aimed at the target, not the Funguar. He was right, the Funguar got panic hearing the sound of my rifle and started swaying his body left and right, making the target board moved left and right also. But I was right too, other than moving its body, the Funguar also spew out some spores toward us.

"Dad!" I tried to warn him, but Dad just replied with, "Don't worry, Irvine! Just keep your scarf on and we'll be okay!"

We were okay. At first. Then the Funguar spew some more, filling the barn with its spores. That's when Dad realized that not only the windows, but we need to open the doors too so the spores would be out completely. But Dad's too late on realizing it and before we knew it the combo of sleep spores and paralysis spores knocked us unconscious.

"God damn it, Jim!" I heard Lou's yelling when awaking from my sleep.

Glancing to him, he was next to Dad's bed, calling him names and telling Dad how stupid he was. Dad was unlucky to regain conscious before me, I guess.

"You could get yourself killed! Wait, lemme fix what I just said, I don't care if you got killed for your own stupidity, but you almost took Irvine along!"

Yep, Lou really chewed Dad this time.

"You too, Irvine!" suddenly Lou turned his attention to me, realizing I'm awake too.

"Next time your Dad tried to pull something stupid like this again, you call me first, you hear?" he ordered. I just nodded in fear.

You don't wanna argue Lou when he's angry.

But even after all those ruckuses, Dad still persisted to use the Funguar for my shooting training on the next day. This time with Lou watching over him. Dad tied the Funguar's spore hole with a cloth, hoping it'll prevent the Funguar to be able to spew out spores. It worked. Then he opened all the windows and doors wide, just incase. And thankfully, this time there's no more trouble happened, except for me who got red ears now thanks to all the yelling Dad spilled out for the whole day.

I gotta be able to shoot moving targets fast if I wanna save myself from Dad's complains.

"Morning, Irvine!" Jesse greeted me once I entered 'Smith's Weapons'.

"Morning, Jesse. Where's Billy?" I greeted him back and asked his dad that's usually behind the counter.

Jesse smiled and answered, "He got a slight fever so Mom didn't allow him to leave the bed."

I smiled too hearing it.

"What can I help you with, Irvine?"

I put two hundred gil on the counter and said, "Some empty shells, Jesse."

Jesse's eyebrows go down, "Why do you need empty shells for? Practice?"

I nodded, "Yeah, Dad gimme some extra training since the Funguar hunt the other day."

He laughed, "Coz you fought him?" he asked while packing the empty bullets.

"No," I laughed also, "Well, at least I think it's not coz of that, but maybe."

Jesse laughed again.

"Here you go, Irvine," he handed me the bullets after picking up the gil.

Receiving it, I said my thanks and goodbye.

Jesse's words made me thinking. Did Dad actually thought about it when I told him I can't aim a moving target just yet? Coz all he trained me now was that. To be able to shoot a moving target.

"Oh c'mon!" Dad complained again, seeing another miss I made.

"Irvine, that board didn't move as fast as the real monster! How come you still missed it oftenly after a week training?" he continued.

I sighed. Not in the mood of talking back to him at the moment. But realizing something he spoke.

"Are we going to hunt monsters again, Dad?" putting down the rifle, I asked him that.

Dad suddenly got quiet.

"No, we just hunt monsters if it entered our farm! We're not hunting monsters that roamed about outside this town!" he said a few seconds later.

My eyebrows lifted.

"I didn't say we're gonna hunt monsters outside the town. Are we?"

Dad got quiet again. He gazed at me for some seconds before standing up and took the rifle from me.

"No, we're not. Training's over. Go wash yourself and let's eat," he told me. With a softer tone than usual.

Looking at the back of him that's returning all the training equipments back to its places, I wondered what's on Dad's mind actually.

"Lou," I called him.

"Over here, Irvine!" Lou replied from the porch. Sitting on a chair, he's making a craft from the maple tree's branch using his old Galbadia army knife.

"Do you know how long I owned this knife, Irvine?" he asked me. I shook my head.

"Fifty years," he said.

"Fifty? But you're sixty already. You owned it since you're a wee kid?" I asked him back in astonishment.

Lou laughed and nodded, "That's right. My old man was a knife expert. He gave me this and taught me how to use it. Just like Jim taught you how to use a gun now."

His saying reminded me of my question.

Sitting on the porch steps, I asked Lou, "Lou, do you think Dad's a bit strange lately?"

Lou stopped his crafting and looked at me.

"What do you mean 'strange'? He's always like that," he said.

I shrugged, "Not that kinda 'strange'. I don't know, it's just…. When we're practicing my aim this afternoon," and I told him the conversation I had with Dad.

After hearing my complete story, Lou nodded his head a couple of times.

"Is that so," he mumbled.

"That so what, Lou?" I asked him curiously.

But Lou got up from the chair and brushed my hair randomly with his fingers, saying, "Nothing. Just forget it. Get to sleep now. Your Dad gonna be yelling again if he sees you're still awake at this time of the night," then went inside the house.

I don't know what, but there's definitely something about Dad. And Lou knew it too.

Coz I'm a kid, they thought I shouldn't know it.

This is when I hated the adults.

That morning we had another Funguar chase in the farm. This time, I can shot one out of five. The practice showed it result.

"Not bad, Irvine," Dad said when the chase's over.

"But Dad, we never had Funguar problem this often before."

Dad looked at me and replied, "Yeah, you're rite. I wonder what make them entered human habitats this frequently."

I thought about it for a second, "There's something wrong in their own places?" I asked.

But Dad just shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe. Let's just fix this mess and think about it later."

That noon, there's a 'Closed' sign on Smith's Weapons' door.

"Haven't you heard, Irvine?" Fred approached me from behind. I turned my body facing him.

"Jesse's old man got sick and now it got worse," he continued.

"That fever the other day?" I asked, remembered what Jesse told me a couple of days ago. Fred nodded.

I quickly left the weapon store.

"Where're you going?" Fred shouted.

"To Billy's!" I shouted back, still running toward Billy's place.

Arriving there, I saw Dad and a doctor examining Billy. Jesse was just sitting quietly on a living room chair when I greeted him. It looked like he's too scared that something might have happened to his dad.

"Was it Funguar spore?" Dad asked to the doctor.

"No, Funguar spore didn't cause 'Pain' like this."

"'Pain'?" Dad asked again.

"Yeah, I gave him a 'Remedy' just now. The effect should be shown soon," he said again, tidying up his equipments back in his bag.

"Charlene, don't worry, Billy's gonna be fine. He just needs to rest now," the doctor turned to Jesse's mom who just nodded with a smile hearing him.

He then left the house with Jesse escorting him out.

"So, Billy's okay, rite?" entering Billy's room, I asked Dad.

Dad nodded, "Yeah, he'll be fine. But…."

"But what?" I asked him again.

Again, Dad just shook his head. "Charlene, we're going back, but if you ever needed anything, just let us know, okay?"

Jesse's mom nodded and replied, "I will, Jim. Thank you. Thank you to you too, Irvine, for visiting Billy."

I just smiled and said, "It's nothing, Charlene. I hope Billy will get well soon."

"Yes, I hope so too, Irvine."

Then Dad and me left the house too.

"If not Funguar, then what?" I asked Dad on our way home.

Dad looked surprised to hear my question. I sighed.

"Dad, I maybe a kid, but I'm not that little anymore and I'm not an idiot either. I can still understand your talks with the doctor," I said, a bit annoyed.

He smiled a little hearing me. Then patted my head while saying, "Yeah, you're not that tiny thing I got a hold of anymore, huh?"

"What do you mean 'tiny thing'?" I protested.

Letting go of his hand from my head, he continued, "I don't know it too, Irvine. We never had anyone got Pain around here before."

"Maybe that's what making the Funguars running over to town? There's another monster nearby that disturbed them?" I asked again.

Dad shrugged, "Maybe. But who knows."

We went home quietly afterward. Dad's busy thinking it seemed. I can only wondered.

"James Kinneas?" a car showed up and a man stepped out from it, calling Dad when we're fixing the fences of our farm.

"That's me. Can I help you?" Dad replied, taking off his gloves.

"Hi, I'm Artemis Brown," he introduced himself and offered his hand, Dad received his handshake and the man continued, "I'm a paleontologist from Deling that's collecting some information around this area."

"And you're looking for me because?" Dad asked him to the point.

Mister Brown smiled hearing it, "I see you're a man that goes straight to the heart of a matter," he chitchatted a bit then continued again, "Well, Mister Kinneas, I need your assistance. I'm going to the forest outside this town but I can't really handle the monsters in the forest on my own. The townsfolk recommended you as the best gunman here, so, if I can ask you to accompany me into the forest, it'll be a great help for me," he said before adding, "You will be rewarded accordingly, of course."

Dad looked at him suspiciously and replied, "Mister Brown, it's a long way from Deling to this here town, didn't anybody accompany you from there?"

Mister Brown sighed hearing Dad's question.

"There were two people actually that came along with me, but they changed their mind once arriving here and heard about one of the townsfolk that got Pain recently," he answered in a weak manner.

His words caught both of Dad's and my attention.

"Did you know anything about it, Mister Brown?" Dad asked him quickly.

Fast, Mister Brown nodded and answered, "Of course. To our knowing, one of the monsters that can cause Pain was called 'Marlboro'."

Dad's eyebrows lifted. "Marlboro?" he echoed.

"I've never heard of it before," I added.

Mister Brown nodded again. "Of course you never heard of it before. It's not common for a Marlboro to appear in a warm continent like Galbadia. They're usually lurking in cold continent such as Esthar. God knows how that scary thing could show up here," he explained a bit then carrying on his words, "We're not positive that there really is a Marlboro in this area, but if there is, it would be a pretty dangerous trip for us, that's why the other two decided to return to Deling instead."

"Does a Marlboro really that dangerous?" I asked him before Dad can say anything.

Again, Mister Brown nodded. "It's a pretty big and strong monster, kid. Plus it can render us useless if we're hit with it Pain attack."

Dad and I looked at each other.

"Oh, if only the department would give me more fund so I can afford to hire a SeeD to escort me," Mister Brown complained to himself.

"Are you staying in town, Mister Brown?" Dad suddenly asked him.

"Of course, Mister Kinneas. I'm staying at Ms. Hannah's Inn," he replied, out of his own thoughts.

"Good. We can collect the town's men to go to the forest with you."

Dad's words literally made Mister Brown's eyes shine.

"Well, it'll be very helpful, but I don't think we need that much just to gather the plants I'm looking for," he said with a big smile.

"You can go collect anything you want to collect Mister Brown, we're coming to hunt down that Marlboro and we need you to show us how it looked like," Dad replied fast.

This time Mister Brown seemed surprised.

"But as I've told you before, I'm not certain that there really is a Marlboro."

"I know Mister Brown, but there's no other explanation on how Billy could get that Pain. He might have gotten it unconsciously when he's riding out of town for supplies, who knows. But if a monster that dangerous showed up here, it could harm the other townsfolk too. It's better for us to get it first before it gets us," Dad explained quickly.

Mister Brown just nodded in understanding.

"I'll go to town now and you wait at the inn. Tonight we'll have a meeting at my house to discuss our plan before leaving. Around six okay with you, Mister Brown?" Dad asked him. Mister Brown nodded.

"Good, I'll see you again tonight, Mister Brown." Mister Brown said his thank you and left the farm on his car.

"Irvine, you stay home," then Dad ordered me after Mister Brown's completely gone from sight.

"But -" I tried to object him, but Dad just left me in a hurry.

I sighed.

Nightfall, the town's men gathered at our house, planning strategies and such.

"So, Mister Brown, do tell us what this monster look like," said Lou, preparing the drinks to be served to the men.

"Yes, well, a Marlboro looked like a plant with countless tentacles. It had a solid green color and it's pretty big making it easy to spot. I'm not sure if it had a long range attack, but it had a close range attack called 'Bad Breath' that can cause 'Pain' and of course it also had normal physical attacks," Mister Brown explained.

"So it's better off to attack him long distantly," Dad mumbled.

"But Jim, even if it's big and easy to aim, none of us here are as good as you are in handling guns. Yet, if we attack it in close range, it might hit us with it Pain and kill us. So what's the best to do?" Emmet, Fred's Dad, mentioned his worries.

"Yeah, Jim. Even Irvine here is better with gun compared to me," added Douglas, Irene's brother, pointing at me who was busy helping Lou distributing the drinks.

"That's a good idea, Doug! Let's bring Irvine along! He maybe a kid, but his marksmanship was just second to Jim!" suddenly Bob, Cheryl's dad, suggested it.

Dad got up hearing it, "Hold on people! We're not gonna bring a kid into a dangerous stuff like this! No matter how good he was with a gun!" he objected.

"He won't be in danger if he stays close with you, Jim," Mayor Kincaid that was kept silencing began to talk.

"Yes, he will still be!" Dad's voice tone grew higher, "You're supposed to be a Mayor, Kincaid! Mayor didn't support a suggestion that a kid should be involved in a dangerous situation!"

He really didn't allow me to come along.

"Well, if I can really be helpful," I said it out of nowhere. Really, I was surprised hearing myself said it.

"Your son didn't mind with it, Jim," Mayor Kincaid quickly back up my sayings.

"He's not a grown up! He can't make his own decision yet!" Dad protested again.

"Dad, you didn't allow me to come along coz you're worried with my safety?" my question stopped the arguing between Dad and Mayor.

He looked at me angrily and answered, "Of course, Irvine! You're my only son! So don't you go saying stupid things like that ever again!"

I stepped closer to him, then said, "Then I wanna come along with you coz I'm worried with your safety, Dad."

Dad stared at me.

"Dad, I know I might not help much, but as long as I'm still in your sight and you're still in my sight, you'll know and I'll know that the both of us will be okay," I paused for a second before continuing, "and just like what you've said, Dad, I'm your only son and you're also my only dad."

"He got a point there, Jim," Lou's voice heard after me. Dad looked at him then at me.

He sighed a few seconds after that, saying, "Fine, we'll have Irvine along as my backup."

The men cheered in an instant for that decision.

"Since we already have our two main attacker, then Emmet, you'll be the third one. Right, Jim?" Bob suggested another idea.

"Is that okay with you, Emmet?" Dad asked him.

"No problem," nodding, Emmet replied with a smile.

"That means, Doug, you'll be in charge of…."

The meeting went on that night. By morning, the plan's set and everybody's ready to go.

"Irvine," Dad called me from downstairs.

Going down, I saw my rifle on the desk. Next to it was a box of bullets and a gun belt.

Arriving in front of him, Dad handed me the gun belt.

"Stock up your ammo here, make sure you bring all that belt can bring," he ordered me.

Nodding, I began to fill the belt with as many bullets it can afford.

"A wind rifle may not cause that much of damage, but as long as you're aim is good and able to shot it vital points, you can still out win it," Dad gave me his advice while I'm loading the bullets.

"And Irvine," Dad patted my shoulder, pausing me from filling up the belt, "you're a mere kid. It's normal and it's okay if you suddenly got scared and decided to back off from the fight. I won't consider you as a burden when you go behind me for protection since I'm the one who decided you can come along."

I was going to protest his words but Dad didn't let me to. "I appreciate you're trying to help. I truly am. But just do what you can do and don't worry yourself with the result afterward. Understand that?"

From his eyes, I knew Dad didn't wanna be argued this time, so I just nodded quietly.

Around nine, the pack left. We drove Mayor Kincaid's car till the outside of the forest then go on by foot.

"Be always prepared, guys. Not only the Marlboro that will come after us, but also the regular monster prowling around here," Dad told us. Everybody nodded and prepared their weapons.

Mister Brown carried a nunchaku, meaning he's a medium ranged fighter. That explained the reason he can't go into this forest alone, he'll be dead meat if he encountered the Marlboro without anyone backing him up.

"Good shot, Irvine!" Emmet commented when a shot of mine took down a Geezard. I just smiled to hear it. My aim's now one out of three. Still not as good as Dad, but at least he didn't yell at me for now.

"Don't waste too many bullets, Irvine. If we can handle the monster without guns, you just stay out of it range and leave it to us," giving me an order, Dad refilled his Valiant.

I only nodded.

"Ah!" Mister Brown's voice startled us.

"This is the rare Galbadian Orchid!" he crouched to the ground, busy examining an orange flower.

We all exhaled a relieved breath knowing it's not a monster attacking.

"Guys!" another scream heard.

Douglas pointed to our right.

To a big ugly green monster showing up.

"MARLBORO!" Mister Brown screamed again, preparing his nunchaku.

Everyone set up their weapons in an instant.

"Irvine, prepare yourself!" Dad ordered.

Nodding, I set up the wind rifle in my hand and aimed it to the Marlboro. Then fire it.

Dad's Valiant, Emmet's Peacemaker and my rifle didn't stop firing the thing, but just like what Mister Brown said, it's really hard to bring it down. We also have to keep on running away from it so it can't do a close range attack on us, making it even more difficult to beat the Marlboro.

On a chance, the Marlboro's tentacles managed to throw everyone away and destroyed the barricade we made. It ran out of the forest and headed toward the town.

"Damn! I ran out of ammo!" Emmet shouted.

"Me too," mumbling, Dad checked around him, not founding anymore bullets for his Valiant.

"Irvine! You still have ammos?" Bob called me.

I nodded in panic seeing that everything seemed to be up to me alone now. Dad saw my nervousness.

"Listen, Irvine!" he grabbed my shoulders, "You're our only hope now! Shot the Marlboro right in the middle of its head and it should bring the monster down before it can reach town. Don't worry whether you'll hit it or not, just shot."

I tried to swallow his words down my throat, but I still can't stop being nervous.

"Irvine!" Dad's call startled me. Trembling, I started to aim the Marlboro, right in the middle of its head.

'Just shot, Irvine,' I told myself.

'Don't worry about the result,' I said it in my head.

But I still can't.

With my head down, I gave the rifle to Dad.

"I'm sorry, Dad," it almost sounded as a whisper when I said it to him.

Dad lowered my hat down to my eyes and replied, "It's okay, Irvine," receiving the rifle and began aiming the monster.

"I'm really sorry," I said it again.

He replied with, "Don't worry, Irvine. It's okay," and then shot the Marlboro. Right in the middle of its head.

Bull's eye.

The Marlboro went down. But not for long. A second after, it got up again and once more moving toward the town.

"Damn! Looked like close range battle is our only chance!" Dad returned the rifle to me, pulling out a knife from his boot.

All the men nodded and followed right behind him.

"You just stay here, Irvine! Back us up with the remaining ammo you got!" Emmet told me.

I nodded with a fear of what will the monster do if it reached town. Three bullets left. This time, I have to shot it perfectly or God knows what will happen next.

Pulling out all the courage I had left, I was able to shot all three remaining bullets down his body. With no avail.

There's nothing else I can do now.

"Great shots, Irvine!" Mayor Kincaid that was waiting in his car yelled it. But it didn't lift my spirits at all. I can't do anything else now but watching Dad and the others ran toward the monster, ready to attack it in a close distance battle.

If only I'm a few inches taller, a few pounds heavier, a few years older….

But before anyone can reach the Marlboro, an SUV showed up, roaring toward the Marlboro and hit the thing hard, it got thrown a meter away by the impact. Even so, it still able to got up.

"What was that thing made of really?" Bob yelled out of frustration.

Mayor Kincaid looked at the car that just arrived and shouted, "Did the townsfolk send us backups? Whose car was it?"

Just after his words, three people wearing a uniform I've never seen before got out from the car. Preparing their weapons and ran toward the Marlboro. Began fighting it.

"SeeDs!" Mister Brown yelled. His voice definitely sounded relieved.

"Thank God," kneeling down to the ground, Douglas rested himself.

I don't know what 'SeeD' means, but they definitely strong. Two of them were using close range weapons, yet they seemed to be immune of the Marlboro's Pain. The other one used offensive magics, attacked it from a safe distance and healed her friends with healing magic when any of them got injured by the Marlboro's tentacles.

"Is everyone alright?" another man got out from the car. Another SeeD.

He approached Douglas that was closest to him, examined Douglas for a few moments then said, "Cura!" Right after it, a white light appeared and wrapped Douglas. A healing magic.

"Thanks!" Douglas thanked him, waving his arms and legs that have been cured.

He then advanced to Dad.

"I'm alri -" Dad can't continue his words coz the SeeD already yelled, "Curaga!" and healed him.

"Now you ARE alright, Sir!" the SeeD said it to Dad and move on to the other men, healing each one of them one by one.

Then moving toward me.

He looked down to my rifle and smiled. "So you're the one who fired the last three shots, huh? I saw it from distance but never thought a kid could do that good," he said, examining my wounds.

George laughed hearing his words. "He's our second best gunman right after Jim there!" he buttered me up and pointed Dad who was still concentrating on the battle between the SeeDs and the Marlboro.

The healer SeeD smiled to hear it and cast a spell, "Cure!" which healed me before saying, "You'll make a pretty good cadet if you entered Garden."

He patted my head and moved back to where his car is. Using a device, he's doing a contact with someone else.

In five minutes flat, the Marlboro was defeated by the SeeDs. A monster that we battled for over half an hour and can't be defeated by the seven of us, went down by the three SeeDs in just five minutes.

No wonder Mister Brown wished he could hire one of them to guard him here.

Cleaning up the battle mess, they took the Marlboro and put it inside a pretty big van that arrived not long after the battle. It looked like the van was what the healer SeeD called previously.

"Who hire you guys?" Dad asked the SeeD that used a toya as his weapon. He seemed to be the one giving orders toward his friends. Their team leader.

He turned his head from his friends.

"I'm sorry Sir, we can't giveaway our client identity," he replied calmly.

"It's not normal for a Marlboro to showed up on a warm place like Galbadia and whoever hire you somehow knew about it even before us. That thing injured one of the townsfolk without us unaware of it and we might never know it existence if Mister Brown here didn't tell us about it yesterday noon. Also, it almost ran our town over!" Dad's voice tone was rising by each sentence, but then he lowered it again and continued, "Seeing those facts, I believe we should know who hire you or we could simply file a personal complain toward Garden. Your choice."

The SeeD inhaled a long breath hearing Dad's threat. Dad's definitely angry and means every word he said. And the SeeD knew it.

"We are SeeDs from Galbadia Garden," he began to spoke, "We were hired by the Galbadian Army to recapture a research object that was running away during its transport."

"And that research object was that Marlboro," Dad guessed.

Nodding, the SeeD replied, "Correct. Please understand that the Marlboro was running loose not because of the staff's error, but because some resistance army attacked its carrier vehicle. Therefore the army hired us instead of sending their own troops so the resistance group won't suspect it."

"Let me guess, that was what they told you but you guys didn't really know if that's what really happened," Dad guessed again.

He looked at Dad with a smile and nodded again. "That is also correct, Sir," he replied once more, still smiling. His smile showed a respect toward Dad.

Dad sighed with his answer. "Great, the Galbadian Army's doing something weird and we're the one who have to take the medicine," he muttered angrily. Then turning toward the SeeD, said, "I'm sorry I got mad at you and your team. You were just doing your job. Thank you for saving us earlier."

The leader SeeD smiled, this time a relieved smile.

"Don't worry, Sir. We're just glad there's no fatality over this matter," he replied, offering his hand for a shake.

Dad received it with a smile too.

The SeeDs left soon after they finished loading the Marlboro into their van. We went home victorious.

It was a cool night. The wind's blowing softly as if it tried to relax the tired hunters to help them have a good sleep that night. Not a hot or cold night. Just the perfect cool.

Lou was dozing off on the living room's couch, opening the door wide to let the breeze came in and cool down the house. I put on a blanket on him coz I know he'll get a flu the next morning if I didn't. Lou loved the night breeze but his body was too weak now to handle it.

Stepping outside, I saw Dad sitting on the porch's bench, gazing a framed-photo in his hand. Taking a peek, there are Mom and Dad in the photo, hugging each other with wide smiles. They looked so young and I wasn't there, so I guess the picture's taken before I was born. Or maybe before they got married.

"Nice night, huh?" Dad said, startling me a little.

"Yeah," I replied subtly and sat next to him.

"I'm sorry, Dad," I said after a second of silence between us.

Dad looked at me, not knowing what I mean.

"For what, Irvine?" he asked with a smile.

"Today, I -" but Dad cut my words. "You did what you can do today, Irvine. Just like what I told you to do. There's nothing to be sorry of it," calmly, he brushed my hair.

"But -," I wanted to say more, but again Dad cut me. "Did you know what happened to me so I can get this scar?" Dad lifted his shirt and showed me a long scar on his chest.

"A Wendigo attacked you when you're fifteen. You told me that," I answered him fast.

"Yeah, but did you know what happened exactly till that Wendigo able to wound me like this?" he asked again.

I shook my head. "You never told me the complete story," I replied. He laughed hearing it.

"I was being cocky, the way I used to when I was a kid. I can handle my gun better than anyone my age that time and went to the forest on my own for a bet with George. There's no problem for me to handle the Funguars and Geezards. Until the Wendigo came. You know what happened to me then?" he paused his story for a question. I shook my head again to hear it.

"I got froze. Stiff as a tree trunk," Dad laughed, continuing, "I never met a Wendigo before and never thought it'll be that big. It even not as big as that Marlboro we fought this morning, but I got scared and frozen. The Wendigo attacked me and made a big cut on my chest. With my view began to fade, I felt my end is near, until Gwen came."

"Mom?" I asked him in surprise.

Dad laughed more. "Didn't I tell you she was like Eliza, Emmet's daughter?" he asked me again, reminding me of Fred's sister. I just nodded and he continued, "Well, she was. Worse even," he laughed again before moving on, "That tomboy ran toward me, calling me as an idiot and shot the Wendigo with her Pop's Valiant right on it's chest."

"Dad's Valiant was Mom's Dad's?" I guessed in surprise.

Dad laughed mildly. "Yep, that's the one," he answered.

"The Wendigo ran away and I went unconscious. Waking up the next day, Gwen's Pop yelled at both me and Gwen. I got yelled for getting myself into danger with no good reason and she got yelled for taking the Valiant without permission. After that I got yelled again by Gwen for making her worried sick. I got a hurting chest and two hurting ears afterward," he ended his story with another laugh.

Wow, so that's the complete story about that scar. I thought he got it after bravely fought the Wendigo, but it turned out….

"Everybody got scared and nervous sometimes, Irvine. Including me. It's only natural. You haven't even reached fifteen like I was and you fought even bigger opponent than I was, so it's just completely normal for you to got scared," Dad told me, patting my head gently.

"So, I don't wanna hear anymore 'sorry' from you about today's hunt coz as far as I and anyone in this town concern, you were doing great. Got that, Irvine?"

Smiling, I nodded.

"Good. Now go to bed."

I tried to protest that it's not too late yet but Dad snapped me and pushed me into the bedroom.

That night everybody seemed to have a pretty good night sleep.

"Irvine, was it true that the SeeDs praised you for your perfect aim on that Marlboro?" Cheryl quickly approached me and asked that when I entered the main street.

I smiled, embarrassed with the spreading news. "I didn't do much, Cheryl. It was Dad and the others that actually fought," I tried to avoid her version of the story.

"But still, getting complimented by a SeeD sounded real big to me," Fred showed up.

"Oh c'mon Fred, it was really nothing. Really. You guys should be gathering around Dad or Emmet if you wanna hear all the real heroic stories," I told them.

"We had been hearing every one of them! You're the only one we hadn't heard yet," Linda showed up too.

"Yeah, while they told me how a kid like you could do so well, you didn't say so to yourself. You're too humble, Irvine!" they still followed me eventhough I've entered Billy's store.

"Well, well, the famous lil Irvine and his fans," Billy laughed seeing me entering with a bunch of crowd.

"Billy! You're all well now?" quickly I approached him, happy to see he's not in bed anymore.

Billy nodded with a smile. "Thanks to that Remedy Hank gave me. I heard you guys beat the monster that caused me the disease?"

I smiled shyly again. "We're not the one who beat that monster, Billy. It was the SeeDs that beat it," I replied him.

Billy laughed. "So I've heard! I thought you'll be going around town now, bragging how you do so great there," he teased me.

Smiling again, I shook my head and said, "I didn't do much, Billy. Nothing but troubling Dad."

"That's not what I heard from Jim. And from Emmet. And Bob, and George, and…," Billy kept on mentioning their names, can't stop teasing me.

I just smiled at him and put down my five hundred gil on the counter.

"Lemme guess, Jim's Valiant completely blank now, ha?" he lowered his head to me. I nodded.

"That Marlboro sure hard to goes down, Billy. Dad and me brought every bullets we got at home and spend it all to it, still not giving it nothing but mosquito bites!" I told him.

"Ah, now you began to tell us the story! Go on, Irvine! I wanna hear it from your side!" Billy began packing the bullets when he said so.

Then the kids also started to surround me, realizing Billy managed to encourage me telling him the story. Damn, that was a setup! With a shy smile, I finally tell them my story.

"What's a 'SeeD', Billy? I never heard or saw of them before yesterday," I asked him after completed with my story of yesterday's hunt.

Billy nodded and answered, "It's an elite force, Irvine. Elite mercenaries so should I say. SeeD was an independent army, not allying with anyone but themselves. We could use their services for lotsa stuffs. You just name it! To be a bodyguard, to deliver things, to be spies, to do anything we want them to as long we pay them their price. They were formed not long ago, soon after the Garden was built some years ago."

"Garden? One of the SeeD also mentioned that. He said they were from 'Galbadia Garden'. What does 'Garden' mean?" I asked him again.

"Garden, Irvine," he began the story, "was a special school. The students there were addressed as cadets and all of them were trained to be future SeeDs. There are three Gardens all over this world. Each located in different continents. Balamb Garden in Balamb, Trabia Garden in Trabia, and Galbadia Garden here in Galbadia. It's not easy to be accepted as a student by the Garden too, they don't just pick anybody. I don't know what the requirements were, but I guess their website can tell you more."

"It sounded like a cool place," Fred commented.

"It is, if you wanna be a mercenary," Billy replied.

Fred looked at him then shuddered.

"No thanks, Billy. I don't wanna be a soldier for a living. The money didn't worth my life," he said again. We all laughed hearing him.

"That reminded me, we're going to choose the new Sheriff here next week. Your Dad could be chosen Irvine, seeing how he did excellent on that Marlboro event," suddenly Billy told me.

I nodded and replied, "Yeah, I guess so too. Since the train accident happened to Joe three weeks ago, we haven't got a new Sheriff to replace him. I always thought Dad would be the one but he said he's not interested."

Billy nodded hearing me. "That's just like Jim. Actually, we voted him over Joe that time, but Jim said exactly the same thing. 'I'm not interested' he said with a scary face," Billy made a funny face of impersonating Dad on his last sentence, making us laughed.

"So you're Dad won't be the new Sheriff after all then?" finished laughing, Cheryl asked me.

I just shrugged, saying, "I guess."

Finished chatting and received my bullets, I said goodbye to them and went home.

"Do you wanna be a SeeD, Irvine?"

Dad's question stopped me from aiming the target board.

"Why are you suddenly asking me that, Dad?" I asked in confuse.

Dad shrugged. "I don't know. But that SeeD did say that you'll make a pretty good SeeD if you decided to join," he replied calmly.

Putting down my rifle, I said, "Actually, I was thinking about it. The female SeeD that helped fought the Marlboro was really pretty so I thought if I entered Garden I might met a whole lot more of pretty girls like her -"

A whack on the back of my head stopped my sentences, followed with an annoyed grumble from Dad, "Forget I asked!"

I laughed while holding the aching part of my head Dad just hit.

"No, seriously, Dad, I did think about it," I began to talk seriously.

Dad looked at me with interest.

"Really? Why?" he asked, smiling.

"Well, it sounded like a better job than being a future Sheriff of this town," Dad instantly drowned my hat to my face. Laughing and fixing my hat's position I continued, "There was one of the SeeDs that saved us which used a gun. We can't see how he fights since he's the one that healed us, but seeing his friends, I assumed he's good at it, maybe even better than you, Dad."

Nodding, Dad said, "Okay. The part about him being better than me was still a maybe, but okay."

Laughing again, I continued on, "Not only attacking, they can also heal their allies. Looked like being a SeeD was more than just being able to fight, but also being able to heal. I don't know how they are able to learn magic, but using magic seemed as interesting as using guns. I mean, they both are long distance attacks and no matter how weak it was but if we use it right it can be as deadly."

Dad's nodding again. "That's a good point of view. I see you actually learn something from that battle. Good. Go on," he said.

I then focused my eyes to the ground beneath my foot.

"And seeing how they instantly charged the Marlboro once they saw it, they seemed to have no fear facing whatever enemy they encounter."

"Ah, that part," Dad said it exactly after I've finished my talk.

"You mean you wanna be a SeeD with hope it'll erase your fear and nervous feelings?" he said again.

I looked at him.

"I'm not a SeeD and I can still overcome my fears and panics," he continued.

"You can, Dad. But I…. I never told you this before, but…, I actually can aim a moving target accurately just a day after our practice using that Funguar," saying so, I pointed the Funguar that's busy feeding off an old trunk Dad carried from the farm as its food.

"But every time I wanna shot a real life target, I got jumpy, and the next thing I know, I missed it. I now can shot one out of three was after pushing myself so hard, I'm afraid I won't be able to pull the trigger again if I continue it."

Dad looked back at me.

"Then you don't have to be a gunfighter if you don't want to," he calmly told me.

Shaking my head, I replied, "That's the problem, Dad! I WANT to be a gunman! I don't know why I want it, but I want it! I really WANT to be a gunman! I…, I can't think of becoming anything else but a gunfighter."

He sighed. "I guess it was coz of me. You got influenced by me too much," it was as he was complaining to himself when Dad said it.

"Maybe, but I sure don't wanna be a hot-headed gunman like you."

He laughed. I laughed. We laughed.

"So, you really wanna enter Garden?" Dad asked me again after our laugh ended.

"If you think it's okay."

Dad stared at me for some quiet seconds. Then nodded.

"It's okay. I know you can take care of yourself and I know Gwen won't mind with it," Dad said.

"Mom?" didn't understand the meaning of his words, I asked.

He nodded again.

"Gwen always told me to take good care of those I loved. She also told me to always try to do my best on everything I do. And to use all my powers to help those around me achieve their best. She really did told me a lotta stuffs," chuckled, Dad move on with his words, "If you think by becoming a cadet can help you to be your best, then Gwen would kick my arsenals real good if I didn't let you to do it."

I smiled hearing him.

On the next morning, I went online and sign myself up to be a cadet of Galbadia Garden.

By the time my age was old enough, a letter from Galbadia Garden arrived, saying I can immediately admitted myself there. Dad took me to the train station, and with a smile he saw me off.


	6. The Lamb That Leaps Over The Sky

**ALL THE LAMBS**

A Final Fantasy VIII Fanfiction

Written by: Arm

November 2008

**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

The Lamb That Sleeps Within The Storm

The Lamb That Run Alongside The Spirits

The Lamb That Walks Toward The Sun

The Lamb That Dances Before The Winds

The Lamb That Smiles Upon The Moon

The Lamb That Leaps Over The Sky

The Shepherd That Lost The Lambs

The Princess That Caught A Lamb

**THE LAMB THAT LEAPS OVER THE SKY**

"Triple Triad, huh? Can I play too?"

Approaching a group of kids that was playing just outside my house, I asked them that, showing them my deck.

But before they can answer me, Miss Rya, the Head Housekeeper, showed up on the front gate and called me. "Miss Quistis, you shouldn't be playing with them. You can challenge me if you wish a game of Triple Triad."

I looked at her then at the kids that left me one by one.

"No, thank you, Miss Rya. I'll go study in my room," I replied him with a low voice, tired with the way my family treated me.

I returned back to the house and straight to my room. Closing the door tightly and opened the window widely.

It was a beautiful sunny day outside, but a good weather with no one to play with, equal my boring life. There's nothing I can do but studying. Even if they let me play, I have to play with someone from a family that had the same 'level' as our family. Most of the time, my parents' friend's children. And they all were boring. Chatting, dancing, and that's about all. Never I considered meeting them as playing. It's more like wasting my time. I even preferred studying rather accompanying them if I can choose to.

Bringing out a long sigh, I dropped myself to my bed.

"Quistis, it's Mother," a call heard from outside of the door.

I quickly got up and sat myself before my study panel.

"Come in, Mother," I replied after setting up the panel.

Mother opened the door and approached me.

"What are you studying, Quistis?" she asked, glancing at my study panel.

Smiling, I replied, "Just browsing around the net, Mother. Did you know that there are two types of Fastitocalon? The big one was the real Fastitocalon while the smaller one was called Fastitocalon-F."

Mother smiled hearing me. "No, I didn't know that, Quistis. Are you researching about monsters?" she asked again.

I shook my head and answered, "Not really, I read it on a website I stumble across to. You can learn a lot thanks to the net."

She brushed my hair gently before saying, "I know you like to learn random things, Quistis. Just don't get yourself too tired afterward." Then sat on my bed. "I didn't mean to disturb you, but will it be alright with you if I watch you studying from here? I really wanted to see what you can study more just by browsing around like that," she said.

Oh, great. Now I REALLY have to study.

"It'll be fine, Mother. I'm happy you have some time to spare with me," I replied politely.

I began to literally browse around the net. Reading anything that might be useful as a study material, saved some files, downloaded some items, doing everything I can do to make myself busy.

"What's the website you're opening now, Quistis?" Mother suddenly stood up, advancing toward me once more. Panic, I just clicked a random link.

"Um, this is," I glimpsed at the website's title, "Balamb Garden's website, Mother."

Oh no, what's a 'Balamb Garden' anyway? Some agricultural developing space? Some flower park? I have to do a quick read before Mother asked me more.

"A Garden website? Don't tell me you're interested of being a cadet," she looked at me with surprise.

Being a cadet?

"Actually, Mother, I got this link from another website and the name sounded interesting so I opened it. I haven't really read the content of it," I replied her calmly, trying to act innocent.

She smiled. "Well, Quistis dear, Balamb Garden is not the type of gardens you usually see. It's more to a training school for hired soldiers. Nothing that would fancy you," she explained.

"Ah, I see. Then I'll continue browsing another website."

Mother nodded and began to walk away.

"I won't disturb you anymore, Quistis. But if there's something you don't understand, you can always ask to me or Miss Rya," she said.

"I'll do that, Mother. Will you have dinner home tonight?"

"I will. I'll see you at dinner, Quistis. Remember, don't make yourself too tired."

Then she left my room.

I sighed in relief.

Once more, I dropped myself to the bed.

I want to go playing with the town's kids. I want to can run around freely like them, I want to accidentally fell into a mud puddle but just laugh after it like them, I want to sit on the street not worrying my clothes will be dirty like them, I want to do a lot of things like them.

I want to be one of their friends.

That day, the house was empty. Not literally 'empty', but my parents were out for the whole day, Miss Rya went back to her hometown for some business and won't be back until tomorrow, leaving only me and the maids.

The perfect day to run my plan.

"Bria, I have to do some research today so I need no disturbance for the whole day. Please don't prepare my lunch and call me only when it's dinner time. Thank you."

Bria nodded in understanding and bowed before leaving my room.

Quickly I closed the door. From under my bed, I pulled out a rope I've been hiding for some time. Using the rope, I climbed out of my room when there's no one around and use my duplicate key to open the gate.

Today, I can go to town and do all I want to do.

I was looking around the market when a kid ran and bumped me.

We both fell to the ground, back first.

"Ahwaaaaa!" I heard a high pitched voice cried.

The kid that bumped into me was a little girl, younger than me. Maybe she was four or five.

"Are you alright?" approaching her, I tried to calm her cry.

Sobbing, she looked at me.

Then I realized there's a wound on her right elbow. Maybe she got it when she fell just now.

"Hold on," I pulled out a handkerchief from my skirt pocket and wrapped her elbow with it.

"This should do it," I said with a smile.

She slowly stopped crying and turned her attention to her elbow. "Pain, pain, go away," she mumbled it toward her elbow.

I smiled again hearing her.

"What's that? A magic spell to heal your wound?" I asked.

Smiling, she nodded.

"Dillon taught me," she proudly said it.

I chuckled a bit.

"Dillon sounded like a nice person," commenting, I helped her to got up.

She nodded again. "He is. He's my older brother and he always look out for me. I really liked him!" she full-heartedly praised the boy named Dillon.

I chuckled more.

But before we can continue our conversation, a boy who looked like a couple of years older than me came approaching us.

"Marle!" he called then bent before the girl.

"I told you not to go running around like that! The market's full today and you might got lost!" he warned her.

Scared, Marle quickly go hide behind me.

"Huh? Who're you? I never saw you around here before," standing up, he asked me that.

"She's Quistis Trepe, the Trepe's only kid," another voice answered his question.

Another boy, about my age.

"Trepe? That rich family? What's a princess like you doing here?" the boy that called the girl as Marle asked again in surprise.

I got annoyed a bit.

"I'm not a princess and what's wrong with me going to a market?" I complained.

He just shrugged.

"Whatever. C'mon, Marle. I've bought what Mom need, let's go home now," he offered his hand to Marle. Looked like he's that 'Dillon' Marle mentioned before.

Marle nodded and held his hand.

"Thank you, Quistis," she said before leaving.

I just nodded with a smile.

Dillon, Marle and the other boy left the market together.

"Why are you thanking her for?" I can still hear their conversation when they walked the other side of the street.

"It's a girl's secret, Dillon!" Marle replied him with a tease.

I chuckled to see them.

Having a sibling seemed fun. Maybe I should ask Mom to give me a brother or sister.

Then I saw some kids playing outside the General Store. Triple triad it seemed. That's one game I know I can play so I decided to try joining them.

"Hi, mind if I join too?" arriving there, I asked them politely.

One of the kids lifted his head.

"Hey, you're that girl that was told not to play with us, aren't you?" he said, recognizing my face.

"Yeah, that Trepe girl," another added.

They're the group that played Triple triad in front of my house the other day. They remembered me also.

"What are you doing here? Want to mock us for not being rich like you?" and another boy began standing up, saying so.

They all stood up, forgetting their game.

"Run along home now, Princess! We don't wanna hear you said bad things just coz we're not as rich as you are!"

"That's right! We don't care how rich you are, we still gonna beat you up if you dare to say things like that!"

Wait!

Why did everyone thought I'll do such a thing?

"I just want to play with you all," I tried to say it.

"Play with us? What's wrong with your rich friends? Go play with them if you wanna play!" a boy replied.

"You can play 'Rich Girl – Rich Boy' with them!" another one replied.

I can't take it anymore.

"I DON'T HAVE A FRIEND!"

I shouted it as loud as I can.

I didn't know whether they got quiet because of my loud voice or because of what I said. Yet, they did look startled.

Then I can feel my eyes began to blur. I REALLY don't want to cry so I wondered why my tears' coming. Maybe it's because of my emotion. Maybe it's because I'm a girl. Why does a girl have to cry more easily than a boy?

Turning back home, I ran and left them just like that.

"Young Lady, it's dinner time," Bria opened my room's door and found me sitting in front of my study panel.

"I'm coming, Bria," I replied her lazily.

"You sounded very tired, Young Lady. Would you like a dinner on bed instead?" she asked, worried seeing my reaction.

I shook my head.

"No, thank you, Bria. I'll be in the dining room after I wash my face."

She nodded.

"Very well then, Young Lady," and left my room.

Even after managed to get out of this house, I still can't play with anyone. Maybe studying is the only thing I can do in my life. Maybe playing is something too expensive for me to have.

Maybe having a friend is all just a dream for me.

"Miss Quistis," a voice called, "may I enter?"

"Yes, Miss Rya," I replied, not turning from my study panel.

I heard the sound of the door opened and the sound of footsteps came advancing toward me.

"Bria told me that you got tired of studying yesterday. Would you like me to call a doctor to check up on you?" Miss Rya said when she arrived next to me.

"No, thank you, Miss Rya. I'm fine now after a good sleep last night," I answered her, still lazily.

"Are you sure, Miss Quistis?" she asked again, this time lowering her head to my height.

"I'm sure, Miss Rya. Thank you for your concern," I replied again. Continuing clicking the mouse.

She nodded and bowed before leaving me.

Staring at the garden's view from my window, looking at the birds drinking from the fountain made me wondered, if I'm a bird also, would those birds let me join them for a drink there?

"Victims of crimes are mostly women," that sentence blinking on the monitor, a commercial on the website I'm opening.

It sounded interesting a bit.

Finished reading the website directed after clicking the commercial, it was really interesting.

"You want to learn self defense, Quistis?" Mother asked me in surprise.

"Yes, Mother," replying, I hand her the printout of the website's content, "because research showed that eighty seven percent of victim of a crime are women. The reason of that was because women considered weak and therefore easy to be a target. If I learn self defense, I won't be an easy target and can protect myself," I explained her.

She stared at me, still surprised.

"But Quistis, you won't need to protect yourself by 'yourself', we have twenty four hours guards watching over the house and us, we go traveling with bodyguards by our sides, we can always hire someone to do the protection for us, not ourselves," Mother argued me.

"If you think our normal bodyguards are not enough, we can hire those new formed army of SeeDs from Garden to replace them," she added.

"Well, Mother, how about if I explain another situation now? This is the era of war, right? Especially in Galbadia continent. What if our hired bodyguards can't handle the army troops attacking this city, or got defeated, or worse, got killed? That way, there will be no one that protected us anymore. BUT, if we learn self defense, even if our bodyguards got defeated, we can still protect ourselves and we can saved our own lives."

Mother stared at me once more.

Then began reading the printout I gave her. She sighed when finished reading it.

"I guess you do have a point, Quistis. But if we learn self defense, we'll have… muscles! I don't think a lady should have a muscle," she looked at her body, imagining the ridiculous look of her with muscles all over her.

I giggled. "Mom, not every self defense will give us a muscular body," I replied her, handing another printout about self defense techniques and martial arts types known in the world.

She read the new printout I just gave her and nodded.

"Very well, I will have Rya to call someone she think will be suitable to teach you your choice of self defense. Just remember to choose the one that won't give you too much of muscles. You'll look ugly with muscles, Quistis. I don't want to see you like that," she said, handing back the printout to me.

"Can't I choose my tutor myself?" I suggested, worrying if Miss Rya's the one who chose it for me then that tutor will be as stiff as the rest of the people here.

But Mother shook her head. "I know you're brilliant, Quistis. But I prefer to have Rya in charge of your tutor."

Looked like I don't have any other choice.

I gave her a kiss on her right cheek and said, "Thank you, Mother. Don't worry, once I'm a master, I'll protect you also."

She just smiled before kiss me back.

I hope my self defense tutor can be my friend.

A knock heard at my door that noon.

"Miss Quistis, your self defense tutor have arrived. Please go down to the greet her," Miss Rya's voice heard.

'Her'? So I'll have a female tutor.

"I'll be right down, Miss Rya," I replied her, finishing combing my hair.

After I'm sure that everything's perfect, I went downstairs.

On the living room, I saw a woman. Seeing her reminded me a lot of Miss Rya if she was some years older. I have a feeling that she won't consider me other than her trainee and young mistress. Just like Miss Rya.

Sighing quietly, I hate the fact that I'm pretty good on reading people's personalities, I'm afraid my guess about her was right.

"How do you do, I'm Quistis Trepe," I greeted her.

She smiled and greeted back, "How do you do, Miss Trepe. I'm Sanni Awdight."

From that day on, I began learning self defense with her as my tutor.

Today, I'm planning another escape. Mother was out until tonight, Miss Rya was having her yearly day off, Miss Sanni's not teaching today, and I'm officially alone with the maids.

It's been a month since Miss Sanni tutored me. Annoyingly, my guess about her was completely right. She's no different than Miss Rya, I kind of regretted my decision to learn self defense eventhough I know it'll be useful for me in the future.

The guards stopped me when they caught me getting out of the gate. I told them I'm still their young mistress and I'm still lonely even with so many people in the house, since there's no one my age to play with. And told them the reason I want to go out was because I want to play with friends.

"Then let one of us come along with you," a guard suggested.

"Then who will want to play with a girl that has a grown up watching over behind her?" I replied him.

I'm not sure they let me out because they think I'm their employer's daughter and they afraid I might fire them if they don't let me out (which I will never do such a thing since I will never make my problem as someone else's problem) or because they pitied me. Whatever their reason, I can get out of the house with a promise I'll be back before afternoon came.

So once more I tried my luck outside the house.

"Quistis!" on the market, somebody shouted that and then something bumped into me. It's 'someone' instead of 'something' actually.

"Where have you been all this time? I've been looking all over for you!" Marle said with a wide smile while hugging me.

I smiled back.

"Why are you looking for me, Marle?" I asked her.

She let herself go from hugging me and pulled out something from her dress' pocket. A handkerchief.

"Look! I've wash it really clean! I wanted to return this to you," she said, handing me the handkerchief I used for her arm the other day.

I smiled again.

"I don't need it, Marle. Look," I pulled out another handkerchief from my skirt's pocket, "I have another one just like that, so now we have a pair of twin handkerchiefs," I replied her, showing the handkerchief.

Marle looked at mine and hers then smiled. "You're right, Quistis. They are the same! But, can I really have this? Mommy said this is really expensive," she said again.

"Don't worry, Marle. It's yours already."

Marle nodded with a smile hearing me.

Then I saw Dillon walking toward us.

"There you are, Marle! If you keep running off like that," Dillon paused his words, realizing me.

"Ah, the princess!" he muttered.

"I'm not a princess!" I protested again.

Again, he just shrugged, "Whatever. Marle, have you returned her handkerchief yet?"

"But Quistis said I can have it, Dillon," Marle quickly replied him.

But Dillon grabbed the handkerchief from Marle's hand and handed it to me.

"I know you're just trying to be nice, but if your mother saw Marle holding it, she'll accuse Marle as a thief for stealing this," Dillon said to me.

"She won't do that!" I tried do defend my mother.

"Well, then does your mother know you're giving this to Marle?" he asked.

I got quiet.

"That's what I thought. You probably coming here without her knowing too, aren't you?" he asked again.

And again, I can't say anything.

Dillon forcefully placed the handkerchief to my skirt's pocket.

"Sorry, Marle, but the princess must have it back or the queen might yell at her," he said, bending over to Marle who's ready to cry.

Hearing Dillon, Marle turned her face to me.

"Is that true, Quistis? Then you should keep it, it's okay. I don't want your mommy to yell at you," she said, began to smile.

I forced a smile for her.

"I'm sorry, Marle. Thank you for your concern," I said.

Marle smiled widely once more and replied, "Don't worry, Quistis."

"Hicco," Dillon called the other boy that told him my name when we first met who's standing not far from us.

Hearing Dillon's calling him, Hicco approached us.

"Take Marle home, I haven't done shopping yet," Dillon ordered.

Hicco nodded and took Marle's right hand, saying, "Let's go home now, Marle. Dillon will follow a lil bit later."

Nodding, Marle waved goodbye to me. "I'll see you later, Quistis!"

"See you, Marle!" I replied her.

I was going to left when Dillon called me.

"I don't mean to be cruel or anything toward you, I just don't want Marle to get into trouble. She's my baby sister," he said. Seemed he was trying to explain to me his previous actions.

I shook my head and smiled.

"I know. You're right about everything anyway," I replied him with a smile then continued, "I can tell why Marle really liked you. You two make me envious. I wish I have a sibling to look after each other like you and Marle."

Smiling once more, I left Dillon and the market.

"Trepe! Hei, Trepe!" I heard a whisper calling my family name when I was walking on the main street.

Looking around, I found the source. The group that played Triple triad in front of my house the other day. They were in one of the alleys.

"Did you call me?" I asked the boy that was calling me.

"No, I was calling your grandma. Of course I was calling for you!" he replied, annoyed a bit.

Dumbfounded, I approached him.

"You're still interested to play Triple triad with us?" he asked when I arrived before him.

"Of course," I answered with a smile.

"Do you have to act that formal?" instantly, he grumbled a bit, "You could've just said 'Yeah', it's faster!" he added.

"Anyway," another boy followed up the talk, "since you're rich, you must've gotten some high level cards, right?" the other boy asked.

"Um, maybe," I pulled out my deck from my shirt's pocket, "Let me see, does a T-Rexaur and Fastitocalon cards are high enough?" I replied, browsing the deck and found some level three and level four cards between my level two cards.

"What? From where did you get it?" a girl suddenly asked it in surprise, rushing toward me and looked at my deck.

"She really has them!" she said to the rest of the group.

"I won it from my Mother's friend," I answered her previous question.

"Well, let us offer you something then," another girl approached.

"You can play us, but you can't use the higher cards. If we win, we can have one of the level three or four cards," she said.

I quickly nodded. "Okay."

The group stared at me.

"Just like that? I mean, you're okay to play with that rule? Don't you worried you'll lose without the higher cards?" the boy that called me asked.

Smiling, I shook my head. "I can win before I have them, so I can win too now," I said.

"Damn, you're confident. We'll see if you're really good or just talk big," the boy that called me placed his deck on the battle board, challenging me first.

I smiled and placed my deck, ready to play.

"Oh man!" the boy cried in frustration after I flipped two of his cards with mine. I won.

"Oh, this is just great! Justin's the last one! She beat all of us!" the girl that looked at my cards moaned.

"What? So we can't play anymore?" I asked in surprise hearing her.

"Nah, you're too good, Trepe. We'll lose all of our cards if we play you more," the boy called Justin answered me.

"Oh," I mumbled it quietly, realizing I can't stay around here any longer.

I collected my cards from the board and got up. Ready to leave.

"Let's play other game, Trepe!" suddenly the girl that told me the rule said it.

I looked at her in disbelief.

"Yeah, let's play tag instead," the boy that called me suggested.

"Okay, then Trepe's it!" another boy said it. The others instantly ran toward all directions.

"What? But I…, oh!" I know I can't protest them so I just began chasing one of them.

"Justin's it!" I shouted when I poked his back.

"Hay!" he shouted it in surprise, but began chasing after me. Realizing I was too fast, he chased another kid.

Terra bumped into my back when I suddenly stopped.

"Ouch! Why d'ya stopped suddenly like that? You're it!" she complained, poking my right arm.

"Um, I'm sorry, but I must return home now. I promised I'll be back before afternoon," I said.

"What? This soon?" Kuu asked.

Nodding, I said, "I'm really sorry. But I really enjoyed playing with all of you today. Thank you," then ran home.

I can't stop smiling that day. At dinner, Mother asked what makes me look really happy today and I replied her with, "I've learnt something interesting today, Mother." Mother stopped me before I can explain it, guessing I'll tell her another long story about some random knowledge.

I just shrugged and continued my meal.

Still smiling.

"You're getting better now, Miss Quistis," Miss Sanni commented.

Honestly, I didn't think so. But I didn't want to discuss it either so I just smiled and thanked her for the comment.

Right now, all I can think of is when will I can get out of the house again.

"How's Quistis' lessons, Miss Rya?" Mother asked during lunch.

Miss Rya nodded and answered, "She's just brilliant, Mistress. I don't think any child her age can match Miss Quistis now. I even think I'll be no match for her either soon."

Mother smiled to hear it and brushed my hair softly.

"That's very good to hear, Quistis. I'm glad you have tried your best. As a matter of fact, how about if we go for a vacation next weekend? We haven't been going out together lately," Mother offered.

I instantly smiled to hear it.

"Really, Mother? I'd love to! Where are we going then?" I asked in excitement.

Mother chuckled.

"Well, I'll let you choose now, Quistis. We'll go where ever you want to go."

I got even more excited.

"Umm, I read it on a website that there's going to be a carnival and bazaar on the city center this weekend, can we go there then?" I quickly mentioned it.

Before Mother offered, I've actually planned to ask her to take me there. It's just so happened Mother offered me first, making it easier for me to ask it.

"Carnival and bazaar? We could always go to Deling if you wanted to watch an entertainment or if you want to go shopping. Or is there something special on that carnival and bazaar?" Mother asked me back.

"Well, there will be handcrafts on the bazaar and there will be circus on the carnival. Mother liked handcrafts right? And the circus won't go to Deling until next month, what if by then Mother didn't have the time to go with me to watch it?"

Frankly, I didn't really wanted to see the circus and I'm not really into handcrafts, but I have to do whatever it takes to get Mother to take me there. So I can meet my friends.

Mother seemed thinking for a while. Then she smiled.

"Very well then, Quistis. We'll go watch the carnival and visit the bazaar this weekend. Miss Rya, please prepare all we need to go there," she said, ordering Miss Rya too.

"Yes, Mistress," bowing, Miss Rya left to prepare our needs.

"Mother, there will be children my age there also. What if they ask me to play? I mean, it seemed that there are a lot of children played Triple triad in this town, what if one of them challenged me? I don't want them to think I was bad in Triple triad if I refuse their challenge. What do you think should I do if I got challenged for a game?" I asked again. This time, doing a little bit of 'fishing'.

Mother looked at me for a while then nodded.

"You're right, Quistis. You are an excellent Triple triad player, I don't want the town's people to look down on you. If there's anyone challenged you to a game of Triple triad, make sure you beat that person and show them that the Trepe family was the best on Triple triad," and Mother took the bait.

Smiling, I nodded obediently and replied, "I will, Mother."

I caught a lot of fish today.

Mother and I went to town when Saturday came. Other than bringing Miss Rya along, Mother also brought three bodyguards, one for each one of us. It made me felt a little uneasy. I can't believe Mother and Miss Rya could stand how people are looking at us.

Accidentally, we ran into Marle, Dillon, and Hicco when Mother was looking at a handcraft purse in one of the bazaar's stand. Marle was just about to call me when Dillon stopped her. He whispered something to Marle's ear and she nodded in understanding afterward. Then Marle just smiled at me and left with Dillon and Hicco.

Dillon was a smart boy, I admitted that. I don't know if it's because he's older than me so he had more experiences, but he can tell a lot of things just by looking in a glance. Marle must be really protected with him around.

On one of the corner of the carnival, I saw Kuu's group. I tried to lure Mother near them so I can meet them.

"Hay, Trepe! Wanna play?" just as I expected, Kuu called me.

Our bodyguards began to move toward him, but I quickly replied Kuu with, "Sure! I'll take your challenge any time!" and stopped the guards from advancing.

"Challenge?" Kuu seemed confused hearing me.

"Mother," I quickly whispered, "the boy's challenging me, so I'm going to go there and accept his challenge. Mother can go on sight seeing. We'll meet again on the shop where you bought that hat, alright?" I told her.

Mother nodded and smiled.

"Very well, Quistis. Don't take too long. Let's move on, Miss Rya. Quistis will be alright with Enoh," Mother said, giving order to Enoh, one of the bodyguards, to keep guarding me.

I left Mother and move toward Kuu with Enoh behind me.

"Kuu, sorry, but," I explained him my plan and he grinned in understanding, passing it on to the others.

"Enoh," I called him, "Don't tell this to Mother, please? I beg you," I asked Enoh.

Enoh looked at me with a confounded face. He looked at my friends for a while. Then smiled.

"Okay, Miss Quistis. But stay out of trouble," he finally said.

Instantly I hugged him with joy.

"Thank you, Enoh!" and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Enoh just smiled seeing me.

"Let's play over there!" Justin suggested a place behind the carnival's tent.

We all agreed and ran there at once.

To my surprise, Marle, Dillon and Hicco were there before us.

"Hi, Dillon! Babysitting Marle again, huh?" Justin called him.

"Marle, meet Quistis, she's our new friend," Terra approached Marle, introducing me to Marle.

"You've escaped from the queen, huh?" Dillon asked me.

I answered him with a smile.

"Enoh will be guarding there to let us know if Mother coming this way," pointing to Enoh, who just nodded toward Dillon.

"Dillon, is it okay to talk to Quistis now?" Marle asked him.

Nodding, Dillon answered, "Yeah, you can talk to the princess as long as she's not with the queen."

"Why did you always called me like that? I've told you I'm not a princess!" once more I tried to protested him. But he ignored me as usual.

"You never told us that you knew Dillon, Trepe," Kuu said it, surprised a bit I was talking to Dillon and Marle.

"Dillon was older than us, but he was really smart so we always ask him for help, right Justin?" adding Kuu's words, I can see Terra's blushing slightly. I think she liked Dillon and that made me smiled a bit.

Justin nodded hearing Terra and said, "Yeah, but Dillon didn't play with us that often. He was always taking care of Marle."

"By the way, you haven't played Hicco for Triple triad, right Trepe? He's better than any of us you know," suddenly Mich said it.

"Don't tell me she beat all of you?" shocked, Hicco asked.

Sighing weakly, Kuu's entire group nodded. I giggled a little seeing them.

"Oh okay, let's play, Quistis. You won't beat me!" Hicco challenged, pulling out his deck from his pocket.

I smiled and nodded.

It was a close one, but I finally beat him with one card different.

"Damn!" cursing, Hicco handed me a card.

"Wow, I never saw Hicco got beaten before. You must be really good, Quistis," Marle commented.

I smiled to her. "It was really close, Marle. I was just lucky," I replied.

"It's not over yet! I'll set up a new deck and beat you another time!" heating up, Hicco said it.

I just nodded with a smile.

It sounded really nice.

'To play again another time.'

"Miss Quistis!" Enoh called and gave a code of 'Mother coming'.

I quickly collected my cards and said goodbye to them. They just replied me with a big grin.

"Quistis, you took quite long, is there something happened?" Mother asked, advancing toward me and Enoh that was walking approaching her.

"He was a pretty tough opponent, Mother. But look," I showed her a new card I just won from Hicco, "I won a fairly good card."

Mother smiled and brushed my hair. "That's my girl! Now, I've finished looking around and I've bought all these lovely handmade crafts. Shall we watch the circus now?" she praised me and asked that.

I nodded and we went to the carnival's tent to watch the circus.

The circus was somewhat amusing, but I already felt really happy just to see and meet my friends here. Of course Mother thought I looked really happy thanks to the circus. I just let her to think that way.

We went home in the afternoon with the most joyous feeling I've ever had in my entire life.

Today I managed to go out from the house again.

"Princess, if you keep this up, the whole house will soon caught you and give us trouble then," Dillon commented when he saw me on the city center.

"Dillon, how many times do I have to tell you, I'm not a princess! And why would you and the others could get into trouble because of me being caught?" I replied him quick.

Dillon shrugged. "The queen will think that you got persuaded or fooled by the town's kids and that we were taking advantage of you, like taking your money and stuffs. Eventhough we said it's not true, but I doubt the queen would believe in peasants and still blame us eventually. Wouldn't that be trouble for us?" he replied soon after.

My eyebrows went all the way down.

"Do you have to always have bad thoughts like that, Dillon?" I protested him a little.

"I'm just being prepared for everything. If you always think of cotton candy and candy cane, you'll trip and fall when mud puddle and slime river appeared before you."

I never heard of that kind of phrase, but I do understand what he means.

Then I realized something.

"Where's Marle? You're not with her today?" I asked, didn't see her near him.

"She went with Dad to visit Grandma," he replied, sitting by the fountain.

"You didn't come along?" I asked again. Following him to sit by the fountain's edge.

"Nah, if everyone go, nobody would take care the house and the store, so Mom and I stayed."

Then I realized something else.

"How about Hicco? Did he stay with you or went with your Dad?" I asked once more.

Dillon looked at me, confused.

"Why should Hicco stay with me or went with my Dad? He got his own family to worry about," Dillon answered.

I chuckled that instant.

"I'm sorry, I thought he was your brother," I apologized to him.

"He lives next door and somehow likes to hang around me instead of the other kid. As long as he's not picking on Marle, I don't mind with that. At least I got some help from him to take care of Marle," he calmly replied.

I just nodded, still giggling a bit.

"Princess, why won't you play with other royals like yourself?" Dillon suddenly asked it.

I guess he'll never hear my complaints about calling me 'princess'.

"I don't feel like playing when I'm with my parents' relatives' children. All they want to do was talking, dancing, shopping, or other boring stuffs. Only few of them played Triple triad and none of them wanted to play anything that pulled out their energy. Even my self defense tutor didn't really teach me 'self defense'."

This is weird. I don't know why I said all that frustrations of mine to him. It felt like they just poured out of a big jar. Somehow, it felt like you can trust anything on Dillon. I could understand now why every kids here liked Dillon.

"You learned self defense?" surprised a bit, he asked that.

I nodded. "Yeah, so I can go wonder around the city myself without worrying of someone decided to attack me or something like that."

Dillon smiled. The first time I saw him smiled.

"Why don't you enter a dorm school then? You can get out of the house and get yourself some friends there," he suggested.

"I was planning about that, but then I realized that the students there might be exactly like my parents' relatives' children, meaning there's no use for me to be there," wiggling my legs a little, I answered him.

"Then go to a dorm school that's not only entered by princes and princesses like you, but also by peasants like us," Dillon said again.

I looked at him. "There's a dorm school that can be entered by anyone?"

He looked back at me. "Garden."

That instant, I remembered my talk with Mother some times ago.

"You mean like 'Balamb Garden'?" making sure of my memories, I asked again.

Dillon nodded.

"Balamb was the central Garden, but there are also Galbadia and Trabia Garden," answering my question then continued, "not exactly everyone can enter since only selected candidates are accepted, but those selected ones didn't get selected from their riches or status also, so you might have the chance to enter."

I guess Dillon really know a lot.

"Besides, you were learning self defense right? Since Garden trained their students to be SeeDs, which means you'll get a better self defense training than the one you got at home right now. You can make that as an excuse," he said again.

Hearing him right now, a guess about him popped out on my mind.

"How can you know this much about Garden, Dillon?"

He looked slightly surprised hearing my question. We got quiet for a while before Dillon suddenly sighed.

"I… I was planning to be a SeeD myself," his answer startled me.

"You want to be a mercenary? Wouldn't it be too dangerous for you? How would Marle feel if something ever happened to you?" standing up, I said it a bit emotionally.

"Shh! Pipe down!" he grabbed my hand and put me back sitting beside him, "Nobody know about this plan!"

Sitting back, I saw Dillon's sad expression on his face.

"But SeeDs get a good pay, Princess. It can help my family a lot," continuing, Dillon pulled out a sigh.

"You… you were ready to risk your life so your family could have a better life?" astonished, I asked that.

Dillon once more looked at me and smiled.

"It's just something that everybody would do, Princess."

"Not something to be thought by kids like us. You may be some years older, but you're still a kid also. How could you think like a grown up like that already?" I insisted.

He smiled again.

"If you're growing up on a family like mine, you'll be an adult sooner than you'll thought," he replied me.

I looked at him again.

"What? Don't tell me now you're feeling sorry for me, Princess?" he suddenly asked that.

"I…," surprised, I can't answer him instantly.

Dillon patted my head and said, "When people were born, their destiny put them on a life they couldn't choose for. You got yours and I got mine. It's not the life that you should worry about but how you live it is the matter. I may don't have much but I can play anytime with anyone. You got plentiful but you can't play with just about anyone. I'm lucky in a way and you're lucky on another way. So don't feel sorry about anything. I'm trying to live my best, so should you."

After staring at him for a while, I giggled.

"You sounded like a grandfather," commenting him, I can't stop giggling.

"Shut up," he complained and poked my arm, but smiling.

I was still giggling for the next minutes, enjoying the talk we had.

"Are you really going to be a cadet, Dillon?" my question came after finished giggling.

Dillon gazed the town's view for some seconds before replying, "I don't know. I was thinking about it but I haven't decided it. Maybe. I really don't know right now. I guess when the time comes, I'll know it."

I hop down from the fountain's edge.

"Then I guess I'll be running back home now," I began to say my goodbye, but then turned my body facing Dillon and did a salutation bow, "and I shall enter Garden as you suggested, Great Grandfather."

Smiling embarrassedly, Dillon splashed the fountain's water toward me when he heard me calling him as 'Great Grandfather'. But I avoided the water and ran home chuckling at him.

Dillon was right. I have to try my best on my life. It is my life anyway.

My own life.

Mother almost got choked by her tea if she didn't cough it out.

"G-Garden? You? A cadet?" she asked in a real shock. Miss Rya quickly wiped the remaining tea on her chin and dress but Mother quickly stopped her.

"Why? Quistis, you're a Trepe! Why would you be a cadet?" she asked again, standing up.

"Mother, one of the Trepe's Great-Great Grandfather was an admiral and one other was a captain. We have the history of soldiers on our family, Mother. And they give another great names toward Trepe's name," calmly, I began my explanation.

But Mother shook her head. "They were all men, Quistis! You're a woman! Woman didn't have to be a soldier in some army!" she gave her reason.

"Mother, this is the era of woman to be equal with man. We could be pioneers for strong woman. Pioneers of woman in leadership. Imagine the look on people when they read a line of, "Quistis Trepe, the leader of the famous SeeD army." and saw a picture of a strong, independent woman next to that line. Won't they admire our family even more? Imagine the talk of your friends that would say, "I can't believe Quistis has become a member of an elite army such as SeeD, my son can't even lift a sword if he wanted to. Not only she is a smart girl, he is also strong." and then they soon began to follow us as a role model afterward. There's nothing bad about being a SeeD then."

I know what I said was right and that's why Mother got herself into thinking afterward.

"But you'll get yourself into danger when you got assigned!" she threw another reason.

Smiling, I hold both of Miss Rya's shoulders, "Mother, Miss Rya had selected Miss Sanni as the best instructor in self defense and I believe Miss Sanni had taught me the best self defense available. I will be just fine," I then smiled at Miss Sanni that joined us for tea that afternoon.

Hearing me, Miss Rya and Miss Sanni smiled embarrassedly.

Mother looked at Miss Rya, then Miss Sanni, then me. She was thinking again for some time.

"I suppose you're right, Quistis. It really does have a good prestige for the family. But… are you sure? I mean, the danger…," Mother can't continue her words and stared at me with a worried face.

I smiled to her and hugged her tight.

"I'll be fine, Mother. Really. I promise," I told her gently.

She looked at me once more. Then smiled.

"If you say so, Quistis. Miss Rya, please help Quistis with whatever she needs to be admitted to Balamb Garden."

Returning to my study panel, I went online and sign up on Balamb Garden's website as a cadet.

Dillon, Marle, Hicco, Kuu and the rest of his group was waiting for me at the city's gate when I'm about to leave for Balamb. Seeing Dillon, I know he's the one that told everybody about it. Mother was a little bit surprised when she saw me hugging them goodbyes. She didn't know that I know them, of course, but maybe she thought I was saying goodbyes since they were my Triple triad opponents from the carnival the other day.

"Mother, I'll try my best in Balamb Garden. Please don't you be worry about me," I whispered when she hugged me for one last time.

Mother just nodded, smiling with tears.

Leaving to Balamb, I kept on smiling. Knowing there's a new life for me lies ahead with all of its possibilities.

Hopefully, this time there will be some friends to help me going through it.


	7. The Shepherd That Lost The Lambs

**ALL THE LAMBS**

A Final Fantasy VIII Fanfiction

Written by: Arm

November 2008

**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

The Lamb That Sleeps Within The Storm

The Lamb That Run Alongside The Spirits

The Lamb That Walks Toward The Sun

The Lamb That Dances Before The Winds

The Lamb That Smiles Upon The Moon

The Lamb That Leaps Over The Sky

The Shepherd That Lost The Lambs

The Princess That Caught A Lamb

**THE SHEPHERD THAT LOST THE LAMBS**

Gently, I kissed him goodbye.

"Please take good care of yourself, Cid," I asked him, worried with his safety.

He nodded and kissed me back.

"I'll be fine, Edea. Don't worry. I'll send you e-mails everyday and I'll keep our orphanage going. For the sake of the both of us and the children."

Smiling, I leaned on his chest for the final time.

"I'm happy I met you, Cid. I'm happy to be able to share the same dream with you. I'm happy because of you, Cid," I said softly.

Cid wrapped his arm around my waist and brushed my hair gently, then said, "So am I, Edea. So am I."

We kissed for the last time before his ship left the continent.

It's been two years now since Cid and I got married. I still can't help to smile widely and shyly when someone addressed me as "Mrs. Edea Kramer".

The name rang a beautiful bell.

We first met on a war breakout. I was trying to take some children to a shelter nearby when a tank-type machine appeared, aiming its weapons toward us. When I thought there's nothing else I can do but hold the children in my arms with a hope that my body can be their shield, a man showed up, hitting the top of the tank with a hammer, causing it to lost control for a while. He then jumped down, grabbed the children and dragged me to the shelter before the tank recovered.

I thanked him when we arrived there. But he just grinned and replied he was just lucky he's able to hit it. He's even surprised himself when he did it. We laughed afterward.

Then the cries of the children that were calling for their relatives stopped our chats.

"Because of this war, a lot of the children lost their family," he said in a sad tone.

Nodding, I replied, "Yes. If only there's something I could do to ease their sadness a little."

"I was thinking of opening an orphanage for them, but I'm not really good in handling children, they might get traumatized having me as their caretaker," he laughed at his own idea.

I smiled to hear him.

"I wish I could do what you're planning to do," I said.

That's when he looked at me with sparkling eyes.

"That's a good idea, Miss! How about if you become the matron and I'll be the accountant of the orphanage? I mean, a kind and beautiful woman like you must be loved by the children and I can be the one that gathered the funds," quickly he told me his other idea.

He was full of ideas.

I then got chuckled hearing him.

"Well, we won't be able to work together if we don't know each other's names," I said, smiling full heartedly to him.

Then we introduced ourselves and he began to tell me all his ideas about the orphanage. We're looking for a place that was quite isolated, not reached by the war and have beautiful views surrounding it. He was a trader so he believed he can gather the funds for the orphanage from trading and by visiting cities to look for donators.

At first I thought he was just trying to get an attention from a girl like me. But when a month later he sent me an e-mail telling that he had built the orphanage, I was literally shocked. He also told me that he had sent out letters to city governments and shelters, announcing a home for those young ones that were left behind. Not only for victims of the wars, but for others too.

After receiving his e-mail, I immediately went to the place he told me and found a lovely white house right in the end of a peninsula in Centra.

Cid opened the door and showed me the rooms. The bedroom for the children, their playroom, the backyard that was a nice small beach without any monsters on it, the side yard with an incredibly beautiful flower field near it, and a room that he said as, "This is our room, hopefully."

I looked at him with confused that time.

Right in front of the room, he kneeled before me and asked, "Edea, if you don't mind with a man like me, will you be Mrs. Cid Kramer?" while opening a velvet box consisted of a silver ring and showed it to me.

I can't believe my ears that time. I mean, we just met a month ago and we hadn't talked much either, but now he's proposing me for a marriage without me knowing everything about him and him knowing anything about me. I stared at him with surprise for some long seconds. But when looking into his eyes, somehow I felt, "He's the one for you, Edea."

Suddenly Cid laughed mildly when I was still frozen. He then said, "Well, if you don't want to be, then this room will be yours and I'll be sleeping at that ro-" but his words got stopped when I hugged him and whispered between my tears, "Yes, Cid. I want to be Mrs. Kramer."

We opened the orphanage officially a day after our marriage.

Now, it has been two years. Children have come and go. I can always smile happily when a couple came to adopt one or more of them to become their own child and I can always smile happily accepting a child or two that needed a place for them to be called as 'home'.

Previously, Cid only went trading to the cities a couple of times in a month. But recently he got lucky to found an investor for his business. Eventhough he has to leave the orphanage to run the trade in the city, but I know he's doing it for our sake too so I can only let him go and pray for his success.

I was just finishing reading Cid's e-mail when a child knocked my door, telling me there's a soldier coming on a car.

The soldier told me there are some children on his car. Babies. Their parents have become victims from the war and there's no other family left to take care of them. After taking the babies to the bedroom, the soldier left, saying thank you to me with a sad face. Even as a soldier, he knew that children are the innocent ones on wars yet they have to be the ones that suffered most.

I took a baby that seemed to be more than a year old to my arms. "So, your name is," I read the name on the baby's blanket, "Seifer. That's a nice name, Seifer. You're the biggest one compared the other babies here, so you'll be their guardian, okay Seifer?" I whispered softly on his ears.

He pulled out a small giggling when I said it, as if he was saying, "No problem, Matron!"

I laughed quietly imagining it.

Then I began tucking him to sleep. Once he's full asleep, I put him down to his baby bed and took another baby on my arms.

"My, aren't you playful?" I commented when the baby kept on wiggling his hands and legs with a wide smile when I hold him. Smiling, I searched his basket for his name.

"Well, Mister Irvine, you'll be sleeping next to Mister Seifer here, but don't you two boys fight, okay?" I said, putting him down to sleep next to Seifer's bed.

Then I took another baby, this time a baby girl.

"Quistis, that's a very beautiful name. Pleasure to meet you, Quistis. I will be your matron from now on," I whispered to the baby girl. But she just kept on sleeping so I put her down on a bed on the girls' side.

Taking another baby girl, she was really ticklish it seemed. I was just touching her hand and she laughed, then when I touched her cheek she laughed again, she was a really happy baby. I can't help to laugh also seeing her.

"Sweet Selphie, I guess you will be the one that bring us the laughter around here, won't you?" softly I said. Then put her to a bed next to Quistis's after tucking her to sleep.

The last one was a boy. He looked smaller than the other babies, maybe he's the youngest one.

He was sleeping at first, but suddenly awoke when I lifted him up. I quickly moved outside of the room and closed the door quietly when he showed a sign of going to cry.

And he did cry.

He was crying real hard, it made some older kids came and asked if I need help for taking care the baby. But I smiled and told them it's okay, so they went back to their previous activities.

"Oh Zell, don't cry anymore, sweetheart. You're safe now. Don't be afraid of anything anymore. I'll be here to protect you, Zell. I'll be right here," I whispered softly to his ear while swaying his tiny body gently in my arms.

He started to lowered his cry and finally fell asleep once more after some minutes. After I'm sure he's completely asleep, I went back to the room and placed him on another bed next to Seifer.

They all sleeping soundly when I left them.

"There are five more children coming today, Cid," I started my e-mail with that sentence. "When will the war be over? So many children have lost everything only because of the adults' selfishness. Does this war really worth their happiness?"

That night, I fell asleep on a rocking chair in the babies' room.

It was raining slightly when the man came. With him, there's a small girl holding a baby in her arms. There were two other men inside the car he's riding, but they didn't get off.

"Good day, Ma'am," he greeted me once he and the two children arrived at the porch.

"Good day, Sir. Can I help you?" I greeted him back with a smile.

He nodded a bit, smiling back at me. "My name is Laguna Loire. Her name is Ellone," the man introduced the little girl that smiled sweetly to me, "and this baby is Squall," and then introduced the baby.

"I'm Edea Kramer, the Matron of this orphanage," I introduced myself, receiving his handshake.

I was going to take the baby from her arms when Ellone said, "Thank you, but I can hold little Squall. I want to hold him."

I looked at Mister Loire who just nodded with a smile to me, coding me to just let her. Nodding, I smiled to Ellone and take them inside the house.

"Ellone's parents died during the war and her neighbor, Raine, was the one taking care of her all this time. But Raine passed away recently, leaving Ellone and her child," he told me when we're sitting in the living room.

"So, Mister Loire -" he cut my words before I can continue.

"Please just call me Laguna, Mrs. Kramer," he said.

Smiling, I nodded and continued my words, "So Laguna, Squall was her son?" I asked to make sure. The man nodded.

"How about his father then?" I asked again.

"His father…, was me, Ma'am."

His words surprised me. "You don't want to take care of Ellone and your own child?" I asked him, trying my best to calm down.

Laguna smiled sadly.

"Not I don't want to, Mrs. Kramer. I can't. Ellone's life and Squall's life will be put in danger if they stayed with me," he replied calmly, holding back his feelings.

I looked at him, not understanding what he means.

He looked at Ellone that was singing a lullaby for Squall.

"Lizzy," I called an older child that was right outside the room.

"Yes, Matron?" she answered me when entering.

"Why don't you take Ellone and her baby brother Squall for sight seeing?" I asked her. She nodded and took Ellone and Squall out of the room.

"There is an army that abducted Ellone some times ago. My friends and I managed to rescued her, but I must go to do something else and she'll be vulnerable for another abduction if she's with me or if I left her back in Winhill with our neighbors," he continued after we're left alone

"Ellone, the reason of her kidnapping," after pausing he continued, "was because of the Sorceress' Heir search done by the army. Ellone has a magic power to compress time and therefore kidnapped. That's why I asked for your help to take care of Ellone and Squall while I'm away. But I know that it could cause trouble also for the orphanage so I completely understand it if you choose not to accept them here."

Smiling, I shook my head when he said his last sentence.

"This house is open for every child that needs it, Laguna. My husband and I will be happy to help protect Ellone and Squall," I said, holding his hands firmly.

He finally be able to smiled. Relieved hearing my decision toward the two children.

"I gotta go now, Ell. You be a good girl and listen to everything your Matron told you, okay?" at the front yard he said it, squatting down before Ellone.

Ellone looked at him sadly.

"Will I see you again, Uncle Laguna?"

Laguna laughed. "Of course! I won't be going forever! It's just that there's something I have to take care of first. Besides, I left Squall with you. He'll be the one guarding you in my place while I'm not here. Once you two are bigger, I'll see you two again, okay Ell?" he said, patting Ellone's head softly.

Smiling, Ellone nodded.

"See you again, Uncle Laguna," Ellone said her goodbye.

Laguna hugged her with love, kissed her on her forehead, and then said, "See you again, Ell."

Turning to Squall, he lifted him from Ellone's arms, kissed the baby on his forehead and hugged him tightly while saying, "I'll see you again too, my little storm. Don't destroy anything before I come back, okay?" he joked a bit to ease up his own feelings.

He then left, trusting Ellone and Squall under my care.

"Ellone, this will be your new house and also Squall's new house. I hope you'll be happy here," I told her gently.

Ellone nodded obediently. Smiling.

"Is it okay if tonight I sleep with Squall, Matron? I'm worried if I put him on the babies' room. It's his first day here, he might get nervous. I don't mind sharing my bed with him and I'll change his diaper if he needs it. Please?" she asked when bed time came, looking at Squall in my arms.

I looked at the other children, seeing if there's any of objection from them. But they all smiled and nodded, understanding how Ellone must've felt.

"It's okay, Ellone. But call me anytime Squall's crying and you can't calm him down," I told her.

"Don't worry, Matron. Squall will always calm down when someone has lifted him up. He likes to be rocked in our arms," smiling, Ellone replied.

Giggling slightly, I nodded. Then went to the bookshelf to pick up a book, sit on Quistis' bed and began reading a bed time story for the children. The story was halfway finished when everyone have fallen asleep. I quietly went out of the room and put the light off after kissing the forehead of each one of them and whispered, "Good night. Sleep tight and sweet dreams."

In my room, I e-mailed Cid the story of Ellone and Squall. Cid's reply was a short paragraph: "We'll think of something. Don't worry, Edea. Just love them as you have loved the other children and everything will be fine."

Smiling, I bid him good night. I know he can't hear my voice, but I know he can feel my love for him.

Some years have passed since Ellone and Squall arrived here. The six babies have become six little children. They and Ellone are about the only children that were left here. The others have become an adopted child of a family, making me feeling glad to know they would found another happiness. Hopefully, these seven kids will found theirs' soon.

Since the day Ellone arrived here, Cid was searching a way to save her from anything that might happened toward her. His best solution was to have a group of bodyguards to protect Ellone each time of the day.

First, I'm not sure we can afford to hire bodyguards twenty four seven, but then an older children of the orphanage suggested a surprising idea.

"Matron, if you wishes to, why don't you train me to be a soldier so I can be Ellone's future guardian?"

I was shocked to hear it and refused to put him in such dangerous situation. But then some more older children supported his idea.

"Matron, we agreed with his idea. I mean, we're a lot older than Ellone so by the time she's growing up, we'll be old enough to be her bodyguard," a child said.

"Yes, Matron. You always tried your best to help us and you always taught us to help anyone that needed our help. Now's our time to try our best to help Ellone since she will eventually needed a help," another child said.

Then five more children said their agreements and their volunteering.

"But… the danger…. Imagining all of you will use a weapon and be involved in the war…," I said in shudder.

"Matron," a child held my shoulders, "the wars have brought us tears. You and Mister Kramer have brought our smile back. We know you don't expect us to pay you back for it and we're doing this not to pay you back. But because of we don't know how many more children that was like Ellone, which needed a protection because some evil people were chasing over them to take advantage of them. If you train us, we can help not only Ellone but also those other children."

I looked at him, disbelieving a mere child like him can say such wise words.

Then cried. Hugging him and the other children, I said, "My small seeds, may you all grow to be strong trees, that hold off a storm with your firm trunk, that absorbed the sun's heat with your leaves and turn it to be your knowledge, that let the wind play around your branches so you can sing a song of the nature, that can made the birds rested peacefully on you when the moon came, that always looked up to the sky with full of pride, and that everything you do will always be gifted by the spirits."

With my prayers for them, Cid took them to a secret training ground to returned them back here once the time come.

"Hwaaaa!" a hard crying heard, returning my thoughts to the present.

I quickly got up, knowing whose voice that was.

"Seifer, stop it!" Ellone gave Seifer a whack on his head. But the naughty boy just laughed and ran away to the beach when he saw me coming.

"Ellone, did Seifer tease Zell again?" I asked, approaching the crying Zell.

Ellone nodded. "Yeah, he told Zell he saw a ghost behind him."

I smiled to Zell. "Don't worry, Zell. There's no ghost, Seifer was just joking," I said, picking him up, trying to calm him down.

"Seifer was a bad boy, Matron! You should punish him! I'm gonna kick his butt and -" little Selphie looked angry and prepared to charge Seifer anytime. Irvine quickly approached her.

"Calm down, Selphie. Don't fight Seifer. He's a boy and you're a girl," Irvine said. But his words made Selphie turned her anger toward him.

"What? A girl can't win from a boy? I'll show you, Irvine!" and Selphie began attacking Irvine that was trying his best to runaway from the angry girl.

Zell was crying even harder seeing the new fight ensued between Selphie and Irvine. Ellone helped me to calm him down while I was chasing Selphie to stop her from chasing Irvine around the house.

When I managed to caught Selphie, Quistis was the one that able to hit Irvine.

"Don't say girls are weak again, understand?" she told Irvine angrily.

"That's not what I wanted to say! I want to say that boys and girls shouldn't fight. Matron said the boys should protect the girls and the girls should calm the boys," Irvine tried to defend himself.

I can only sweatdropping seeing the scene.

"Squall, take Zell to play with you, okay?" I heard Ellone asking the quiet Squall that was just holding Ellone's skirt silently when this entire ruckus happened.

Zell's cry had faded and now he looked at Squall with some tears left when he heard Ellone's words. Squall looked at him back then looked at Ellone.

"Go play in the playroom. I'll go there too soon," Ellone said again, knowing Squall always wanted to be with his big sister.

Squall finally nodded after a while.

"Can we play the blocks, Sis?" he politely asked Ellone. She answered him with a nod.

So Squall took Zell's hand and took him to the playroom. Zell just followed him quietly.

"I wanna play blocks too!" Selphie turned her attention and followed after Squall and Zell.

"Selphie, wait!" then Irvine ran after Selphie.

Quistis went to the back door that was the entrance to the beach.

"Seifer! Everyone's going to play blocks! Are you coming?" from there she called the boy that was busy building a small sandcastle.

Seifer got up hearing her. Then looked at me with a little scared face. Maybe he felt I'm going to punish him for teasing Zell and he didn't want to be punished, again, for that day.

But then Zell got out from the playroom and stood beside Quistis.

"Seifer, Squall finished the castle and I wanna build the tower, but it kept on falling! Can't you make it stand?" he called him.

The boy looked at Zell who's waving a tiny toy flag. Zell always add that flag to his blocks tower as a mark that it was his'. But like Zell just said, he's not really good on building towers and usually Seifer's the one finished it for him.

Seifer then stepped closer. In front of me, he showed both of his hands to me. Ready for his punishment.

But I just patted his hands gently and said, "Go on, help Zell build the tower."

Seifer grinned and grabbed the flag from Zell then ran to the playroom with Zell running behind him.

Quistis just sighed and followed them inside.

Then peace came once more.

Ellone and I began chuckling after. Can't believe how fast a fight could happen and how fast it could end too.

"Well, Matron, I better join them or Squall might be the next one crying looking for me," Ellone said.

I just nodded with a smile.

If only their parents could see them right now. They were all good boys and girls.

"So, today we'll have a picnic!"

Mister Aroway's words made the kids cheering in happiness.

He was Cid's friend Cid brought along when he returned to the orphanage for a day off. Cid will spend the weekend here but Mister Aroway will return back early tomorrow.

I was a bit surprised when last night Mister Aroway said he wanted to take the children for a picnic with his station wagon. He said he was an orphan himself so he knew how they would feel. With this picnic, he hoped he can give a bit of happiness for them. Smiling, I permitted him to take the kids for the whole day.

"Squall, Zell, Selphie, you three sit on the middle. Seifer, Irvine, Quistis, you three on the back seat. Ellone, sit next to Mister Aroway in front. Mister Aroway, are you sure it's okay for me to not come along? The kids could be a handful at times," I told the kids and asked Mister Aroway once more.

Mister Aroway laughed hearing me. "Don't worry, Edea. You and Cid enjoy yourselves. Besides, I got Ellone with me. Right, Ellone?"

Smiling, Ellone nodded firmly.

I can only smile shyly to see them.

The car took off with the kids singing cheerfully.

"It has been some time indeed since the last time I took the children for a picnic. I guess they really excited with this, but have they brought everything they needed? I didn't forget anything, did I?" I mumbled.

Hearing me, Cid laughed then kissed my cheek.

"They'll be just fine, Edea. Don't worry. C'mon, I missed your pancakes," he said, taking me inside.

I followed him inside, smiling.

It wasn't even noon when a loud sound heard from outside.

"What was that, Cid?" I asked him that was busy calling someone with his cellular phone.

"Stay here, Edea!" he told me, grabbing a baseball bat after putting down the phone.

But before Cid managed to get out, the door was smashed open. About ten men in an army uniform entered.

One of them quickly approached Cid, smashing his baseball bat and grabbed him. "Are you Cid Kramer?" he rudely asked.

"Yes, I am. What do you want in this orphanage?" Cid asked back emotionally.

But the man ignored him and threw him to the ground. Another man then held Cid down.

The first man approached me.

"You must be Edea Kramer then. Where's Ellone?" he asked to me.

I shook my head. "There's no child with that name here," I replied.

I realized that they're the army that was looking for Ellone to kidnap her again. I can't let her go to these awful men.

The man strangled my neck with his left hand.

"Edea! Stop it! She's a woman!" Cid tried to fight back with no avail.

"We know she was handed to the Kramers couple. So she must be here. Where is she?" the man insisted, strengthening his strangle.

"I… don't… know… any… Ellone…," struggling for breath, I still didn't tell him about Ellone.

"Sir!" one of the soldiers called.

The man stared the soldier.

"There are no children here, Sir! Maybe all of them were already transported somewhere else," the soldier reported.

Thank God Mister Aroway came today and took them out for a picnic. Maybe he was a savior for Ellone that was sent by the Gods.

But the man didn't give up.

"Tell me where Ellone is, Mrs. Kramer. Or do you prefer to be ex-Mrs. Kramer?" the soldier that was holding Cid down to the floor immediately pointed his gun toward Cid's head.

Cid didn't say anything but to look at me with eyes saying, "Don't tell them anything, Edea. Protect the children at all cost!"

I know Cid was right. I know that anything could happen to us to protect the children. I know that sacrifices might be needed to ensure their safety and happiness. We both know it.

We were prepared for all the consequences.

But suddenly another loud sound heard from the outside again. A sound of fighting heard soon after.

"Sir! Some unknown army appeared!" one of the soldiers came rushing to report it.

"What do you mean 'unknown army'? Are they from the resistant or Galbadia or any other country? Don't tell me you can't recognize them!" the man that strangled me replied angrily.

"No, Sir! They wore a uniform never been identified before! There's an emblem on their chest with the letters of 'S', 'e', 'e', and 'D' engraved on it and that's the only mark we could see about them!" the soldier replied fast.

The man slammed me to the floor.

"Edea!" Cid called. The soldier let him go when the soldier that previously strangled me walk passed him. Cid quickly moved toward me and checked on my condition.

"S-e-e-D? SeeD? What army was that? Don't tell me you can't handle some newbies like them!" he walked out angrily, followed by his men.

Hearing the name of the army that just arrived, I was surprised. Looking at Cid, he just nodded with a smile.

I quickly ran to the nearest window to look outside.

And there they were. Seven children of mine that was sent to the training ground some years ago. They all now have become teenagers, wearing a white uniform and holding a weapon, fighting the army to save us.

"What? They were mere kids! How come all of you are loosing against a bunch of kids like them?" the superior officer yelled at his men that seemed to be overwhelmed.

My children are fighting….

"Be strong, Edea. Therefore they could also be strong," Cid whispered, seeing me in fright watching the view before me. Watching the children risking their life to protect another life.

Watching them becoming heroes.

I hold Cid's hand tightly and began praying for my young ones' safety.

The superior officer seemed to be upset after seeing two of his men down by the new army's attacks. He jumped into the battlefield himself and started fighting my children.

Yet the children turned out to be a lot stronger than he thought, he too can't handle any of them. When five of his men went down, he shouted, "Retreat!" and the army left the orphanage.

"Sir Cid!" the oldest one called, running inside.

"We're fine, Jean. Thank you," standing up, Cid replied him, smiling.

Jean smiled in relieved, then quickly helped me to stand up.

"Thank you, Jean," I thanked him then looked at the rest of the children that followed Jean inside, "and thank you to all of you too, Lana, Mika, Orlando, Cetera, Soleil, and Piche. I can't believe how strong all of you have become now. I…," I can't continue my words when my tears began falling.

"It's alright, Edea. It's over now and everybody's alright," Cid hold me with care, tried to calm me down.

"We tried to come here as fast as we can as soon you called, Sir. But," Soleil looked at the mess in the living room, "it seemed we didn't come soon enough," she continued, regretting herself.

Cid patted her shoulder gently. "No, no, this is just material losses. All of you have saved our lives so that counted as really-really fast," he said, laughing after his last sentence.

They just smiled hearing him still able to joke like that.

"So, the one you called…," I remembered he was calling someone right before the army attacked us.

Nodding, Cid replied, "Yes, them. I built them a ship so they can go anywhere around this world."

I giggled a bit, forgetting how Cid was always serious about everything. I never thought he also had figured this thing might happen and gave the children a mean of transportation to go wherever they were needed.

Just like when he built this orphanage, Cid always thought of every single thing.

"Then let us help clean all of these up," Lana quickly picked up a piece of the smashed door.

I tried to stop her, saying, "No, don't! All of you must be tired after that fight, so just rest yourself and let me handle this."

But then Orlando blocked my way. "Matron, we have a VERY and I do mean VERY heavy training not to be easily tired just by battling a weak army like them, so PLEASE let us help you," he asked in a scary tone. He was always the kid that forced his way.

I smiled seeing him haven't changed much.

"Very well then. But just let me know if there's anything I can do," I said. But he pushed me out of the door.

"Matron can help us by relaxing outside. So off you go," he said, kind of chasing me out.

Giggling, I went out and let the children clean up the wrecked front door and replaced it with a new one that was made fast by Cetera.

Near afternoon, they left, saying they'll be watching over the area secretly. Not long after, the children returned from their picnic, busy telling me what they've done this entire day. Mister Aroway and Cid can only laughed hearing them talking at once with all the excitement.

I smiled to see the happy children.

I promised myself that I'll try my best keep them smiling forever.

Tonight was full moon. I browse around the rooms to make sure all children have gone to bed. I saw Ellone sleeping soundly in her bed. She had such a peaceful face, just like every other kids here.

The images about the battle happened yesterday floated inside my head. Isn't there any better way to save Ellone from them?

"Giving Ellone to the SeeDs and told them to left this area?" Cid echoed me.

I nodded.

"With the ship, Ellone can go to any part of this world, make it harder for those soldiers to locate her. She'll be safer onboard and with them instead here with us," I explained more.

"Have Ellone realized her powers?" then Cid asked.

I shook my head.

"She hasn't realized it," I sit next to Cid, "Sometimes, not until after you've growing up, you'll realize your Sorceress power."

Cid looked at me warmly.

"Ellone was a good girl and Squall truly loved her, but we must protect Ellone with any way we can, even if it means to separate the two," I said again.

"I think Laguna would agree with it also," I added, remembering the poor man that have to lost his wife, his son, his entire family because of the Sorceress. Yet, all he wanted right now is to make sure that Ellone and his son were safe.

"I guess you're right, Edea," Cid softly said it.

Leaning to his shoulder, I heard Cid talking on his phone, calling the SeeDs.

In the children bedroom, I woke Ellone up from her sleep.

"What's the matter, Matron?" she asked, still sleepy.

I put my finger on my lips, coding her to stay quiet, "Don't wake Squall up, Ellone," whispering, I told her.

She looked at Squall that was sleeping tight on his bed that was across hers and nodded.

I took her to the living room, where the SeeDs have waited her.

"Ellone," slowly, I began to tell her my plan to take her away from the orphanage and made the SeeDs as her guardian to secure her from the army. Ellone was a smart and strong girl, she understood immediately.

"How about Squall?" she then asked, worrying Squall for his habit that always wanted to be together with her.

I smiled. "Squall will be fine. He'll be a big boy eventually and then be independent. No big boys wanted to be with his big sister all the time, right?"

Ellone smiled too.

"Okay then, but who will help you out if I'm not here?"

I giggled softly hearing her.

"I can take care of everything just fine, Ellone. All you have to worry about right now is to take care of yourself, okay?" replying her, I'm amused to see her calmness.

Ellone looked at me before hugging me.

"I will meet Uncle Laguna again someday so I will meet Matron and Squall again too someday, right?" she said in my arms.

"Yes, Ellone. You will meet everyone again someday. I promise."

After quietly said her goodbye to the sleeping Squall, Ellone left the orphanage in the middle of the night, with no one to bid her farewell but me and Cid.

With hope for us to see each other once more in the future.

"Matron, where is Sis?"

In the morning, Squall asked me that with eyes half open.

I stopped from washing the dishes, wiped my wet hands to dry and lowered myself to Squall's height.

"Ellone has left the orphanage, Squall," I tried to say it calmly.

Squall showed a very shocked face to hear it.

"No! That can't be! Sis won't leave me by myself!" he cried.

The other children started to came to the kitchen hearing Squall's loud voice.

"I'm sorry, Squall, but she have to go," trying to hug him, I said it with sadness.

"NO!"

Squall let himself go from me and ran outside.

Quickly I ran chased him.

"I'll find Sis!" he shouted outside, then ran out of the gate.

Outside, I saw a man, a teenager, standing near the orphanage gate. Squall just ran passed by him, not realizing his presence.

I looked at the man and recognized something.

"You're not supposed to be here," I told him with a smile.

He just looked at me quietly.

Suddenly, I felt something.

"…Sorce… …et… …m… …gra… …y… …wer…," a sound vaguely heard as a whisper of the wind.

"Sorceress… let me… grant you… power…," the voice heard again, this time clearer than before.

I looked up and saw a mirage of a Sorceress. Dying.

The man pulled out a weapon from his waist. A gunblade. Ready to attack the Sorceress.

"No, wait," I quickly stopped him, "She's dying. She's just looking for someone to inherit her powers to. That's what all Sorceress would do before they died," continuing, I told him gently.

He looked at me again for some seconds before putting his gunblade back.

"…Ellone…," the shadow suddenly mentioned Ellone.

"Give me… Ellone…," she said again.

So she was the Sorceress that made the army searched for Ellone. She knew she was going to die and that's why she was looking for someone to inherit her powers to. She wanted Ellone to be her successor.

"There's no Ellone here!" I quickly shouted.

The mirage coming down to me.

"You too… are a Sorceress…," she whispered hazily.

Other than my parents, Cid was the only person in this world that knew about it, but every Sorceress can felt another Sorceress if they met one.

"Tell me… where… Ellone is…."

A glimpse of the dying Sorceress passed before my eyes.

"Give your powers to me!" I ordered her.

I can feel that her powers are evil one. Ellone can't inherit her powers.

I won't let her control Ellone for the sake of evil!

The Sorceress tried to resist me. "Ellone…," once more she called.

No.

I will NEVER give you Ellone!

"Give me your powers, Sorceress!" I shouted again.

This time she can't resist me. In a blink of an eye, she transferred all of her powers to me and then died.

Ultimecia.

Her soul began to embrace my soul.

I am Ultimecia. The all powerful Sorceress that shall rule this earth.

No! I won't let you take control over me!

I shall destroy those who dare to defy me. I shall be the ruler of all mankind.

NO!

Seeing me, the man tried to help, but I don't let him.

"It's alright. I've possessed the Sorceress' powers. She can't bother Ellone for now," I said, tried to hold back the massive powers from the Sorceress.

That's when Squall returned.

"I can't find Sis anywhere, Matron," he said, began sobbing.

"That's alright, Squall. Everything will be fine. You'll meet Ellone again soon," brushing his smooth dark hairs with my fingers, I hoped those words can calm the poor boy down a little.

Raising his head up, he realized there's another person standing next to me.

"Who is this man, Matron?" he asked.

Maybe he felt something toward the man.

But I shook my head and answered, "Nobody, Squall. Don't worry about him."

I looked deeply into the man's eyes.

"The man will return to where he's supposed to be," I told Squall with a smile. He just nodded quietly.

I smiled one last time to the man before returning back inside with Squall beside me.

The man disappeared once I entered the house. Saying my prayers, I hoped with all my heart it can reach him.

"May you will always be together with your loved ones."

"So, that's what happened."

Cid immediately returned back to the orphanage when I told him about the Sorceress.

"But that means Ellone's safe now since you're the one who inherited the Sorceress' powers," he continued.

But I shook my head.

"Cid, this Sorceress, Ultimecia, her powers are beyond me or any other Sorceress I've ever known. I don't know for how long I can hold it back. She could control me any moment, Cid. She can… turn me to be a murderer."

Cid shook his head strong.

"Don't say that, Edea!"

"It must be said, Cid!" I replied him fast.

We looked at each other for a second before I began talking again. "I can now feel how Laguna felt when realizing that his presence could cause danger for Ellone and Squall. Cid, with Ultimecia's powers inside of me, I too could cause danger for the children. Just like Laguna, I must leave them. I must hand them over to someone else that can ensure their safety."

Cid's sadness was clearly written on his face when he heard me.

"Cid, please find them foster parents as soon as possible. Place them somewhere faraway from me. Or place me somewhere faraway from them," pausing, I then continued, "and faraway from you," I said again.

Again, Cid shook his head.

"Edea, I can understand how you felt for the children, but I won't leave you. Never, Edea. Never!" he told me, holding my hands tight.

I smiled.

"You won't leave me, Cid. We'll just be apart but we won't leave each other," I told him gently, laying my head on his shoulder.

Cid didn't say anything that time.

"Cid, the SeeD you trained, can you train some more?" I asked after a quiet between us.

"Do you think they won't be enough to protect Ellone?" he asked back.

"No, not for Ellone, but for me," I answered.

"Oh, that's right, for your protection," he quickly said it.

"No, not to protect me, Cid. To kill me."

Cid instantly grabbed me in shocked.

"What are you saying, Edea?"

He was really angry when he said it.

I giggled a bit.

"I don't mean for them to kill me now or any moment soon. I meant to kill me when Ultimecia have regain control over my body," I replied, still giggling a bit.

Cid getting even more angrier.

"It's just the same, Edea! Me, to train an army to kill you? I won't go out of my mind like that!" he said again, with a high tone.

I wrapped my arms around his chest.

"Cid, Ultimecia's goal is to have control over the world. She will destroy everything and everyone. I can't let her to do that! We can't let her!"

I looked up to him.

"You know how the war has caused so much sadness for everyone. Ultimecia will do even worse. I will give my all to hold her down, but when I can no longer do so, there have to be someone to hold her down. There have to be someone to protect the world from Ultimecia. We both have promised, we'll do anything to protect our orphans. Even to sacrifice our own lives. You haven't forgotten that promise have you, Cid?"

He shook his head slowly.

"That's why you have to train more SeeDs, Cid. Train them so they would be strong enough to kill me when I no longer be Edea. To kill me when I have become Ultimecia. To save the children and the world."

Cid's tears began falling. He hold me so tight, I felt he'll never let me go again.

"Promise me, Cid. Promise me you'll train an army that can save our children's world from anything and anyone trying to harm them."

In tears, Cid nodded. He didn't say anything. He just nodded.

"Thank you, Cid."

Smiling, I kissed him gently.

Cid kissed me back. Still didn't say anything.

The next month, Cid built a Military Academy in Balamb.

"This place was the training ground for the previous SeeDs. It used to be an old abandoned garden, then I bought it and built a building on top of it," Cid explained.

"Let's call it 'Garden', then," I suggested.

Cid looked at me.

"'Balamb Garden' sounded like a nice name. The students that were training here won't feel that they're on a Military Academy if they remembered the name. They would feel they're on a beautiful place where they were trained to help protect the place to stay beautiful. What do you think, Cid?"

Cid smiled hearing my suggestion.

"I honestly haven't figured the name for it yet. But your name sounded just perfect," he replied.

"But Cid, will you put orphans to be trained here like the previous SeeDs?" I asked. He smiled and shook his head.

"No, I won't do that. That time, I trained our orphans because they wanted to. That's exactly what I'll do now too. I will only train children that wanted to train here. Children that wanted to be strong so they can protect something they considered precious for them. Children that wanted to be SeeDs because they wanted to. I will train only those children and not others," he replied.

My smile appeared hearing him.

Cid will always be able to think about everything once he has planned it.

"Helping a child to protect his or her loved ones. Helping a child to grow up as a strong person. Yes, that's a good idea, Cid. There's no need for them to worry about me, they just need to worry about their future and their life."

I nodded to myself.

"Yes, 'Garden' is a place only for children that wanted to be there. Nothing more."

I looked at Cid after saying it.

"That's what you have to tell to the children, Cid. Don't tell them anything about me or Ultimecia. Not until the time come," I told him.

Cid brushed my hair softly.

"Let us pray that time will never come, Edea."

A week after, every children have left the orphanage with their new foster parents. Soon afterward, we announced that the orphanage was closed.

The sea breeze softly blew my long hair when I stood outside the orphanage. Taking one last look toward the home I'll be leaving. The home that have given me wonderful memories about Cid and our orphans. The home I might never see again.

"I'll be going now, Cid," I told him. Prepared to leave with all my belongings.

Cid didn't say anything.

I kissed him and said, "Take care of our children, Cid. I will always pray for all of us to meet again someday."

That time Cid quickly hugged me, saying, "I love you, Edea. I will always love you."

Smiling for him, I realized some liquid crystals began filling my eyes.

"I will always love you too, Cid."

I left the peninsula on a ship. To somewhere faraway from Cid and my children. To a place where I couldn't do harm for anyone.

Laguna, wherever you are, we will do our best not only to protect Ellone and Squall, but also other children in this world. So please, take care of yourself so you can one day fulfill your promise to Ellone and Squall.

Your promise to meet them again in the future.

I pray for all of us to be able to fulfill our promises.

I will always pray.


	8. The Princess That Caught A Lamb

**ALL THE LAMBS**

A Final Fantasy VIII Fanfiction

Written by: Arm

November 2008

**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

The Lamb That Sleeps Within The Storm

The Lamb That Run Alongside The Spirits

The Lamb That Walks Toward The Sun

The Lamb That Dances Before The Winds

The Lamb That Smiles Upon The Moon

The Lamb That Leaps Over The Sky

The Shepherd That Lost The Lambs

The Princess That Caught A Lamb

**THE PRINCESS THAT CAUGHT A LAMB**

"This is my daughter Rinoa, Sir Almasy," Daddy introduced me to the man.

"Pleasure to meet you, Sir Almasy. I'm Rinoa Caraway," I greeted him, half heartedly.

I don't wanna come to a party for grown ups like this, but having the General of Galbadian Army as my daddy made me have to do a lot of things I don't want to do.

"The pleasure is mine, Rinoa. Seifer, introduce yourself," Sir Almasy ordered his son that was standing next to him.

He looked at me and Daddy, then smiled. He had a very strong, confident smile. As if there's nothing he can't do and there's no one will able to stop him.

"I'm Seifer Almasy, General Caraway, Rinoa. Pleasure to meet the both of you," he introduced himself.

"Pleasure to meet you too, Seifer. My, you look like a strong man," Daddy complimented him. Well, not actually complimenting maybe since I think he's just saying the truth. Seifer DID look strong.

Sir Almasy laughed.

"Seifer's a cadet in Balamb Garden, General. It's his second year now. He got a week off for the holiday but he'll return to Garden next week," Sir Almasy said.

"Ah, that explained a lot," hearing Sir Almasy, Daddy began to laugh also.

I have no idea what they were talking about.

A 'cadet' in a 'garden'?

Ah, whatever. It might be a code between the army men or something. I'm not interested in those kinds of stuffs.

"Seifer, why don't you take Rinoa look around our house?" suddenly Sir Almasy said it.

Seifer looked at me and shrugged with a smile.

"Sure, Father. Come on, Rinoa," he told me.

Smiling, I nodded. At least I can get out of the room.

Bowing politely, I left Daddy and Sir Almasy, following Seifer leaving the ballroom.

"So, where do you wanna go first?" Seifer asked once we're outside.

I shrugged.

"I don't know. It's your house, where's your favorite room?" I asked him back with a smile.

For a second Seifer looked at me before smiling.

He took me to a room on the second floor. Opening the door, I saw a wide room with no furniture in it. There were some bamboo sticks stood in one of its corners.

"This is my training room. My favorite place," he told me. I can hear a tone of pride in his words.

Stepping inside, I looked around.

"What do you train here?" I asked, not seeing any weapon in the room.

Seifer picked up one of the bamboo sticks and stood on a somewhat 'ready' position.

"My sword skill," he replied calmly.

I laughed.

"That's not a sword!" I protested him between my laugh.

Seifer tapped my head with the stick. Not a hard hit, more like a gentle pat to tell me to stop laughing.

"This is a bamboo sword. You girls really don't know anything, do you? It can still hit people pretty good. I'll hit you seriously with this if you wanna know how hard this bamboo sword can injure you," he said, grinning and challenging me.

Heating up by his words, I grabbed another bamboo sword, stood in front of him and set myself on the same 'ready' position as he was.

"Well, I wanted to see how hard it can hit YOU," grinning also, I challenged him back.

Seifer smiled again.

I quickly swing the sword to him, but he easily avoided it and with a single hit toward my sword, he made it flew all the way to the other corner of the room.

Then he pointed his sword to my face.

"Wow, Daddy was wrong about you, Seifer. You don't LOOK strong, but you ARE strong. I'm impressed," I commented honestly.

Seifer withdrew his sword and put it back in the corner.

Smiling, he commented me back, "Usually, other girls will ran off once I pointed my sword to them. I'm impressed you don't."

I smiled too.

"Why should I run away? If you dare to do anything toward me, I just gonna told Sir Almasy about it," I said, still smiling.

"Is that a threat, Missy?" he asked with another smile.

"No, it's my way to say 'I'm glad you're not like other boys that usually do some boring things just to impress Daddy and their parents'."

I grinned. Seifer looked at me for a second before smiling again.

We then take a look around the rest of the house. Rudy, the Head Butler, just smiled when I greeted him in the kitchen. Seifer told me that Rudy was the one who helped his sword training before he entered Garden. I still didn't understand what he meant with 'Garden' but I just nodded to his story.

Then the big wall clock on the main hallway rang its bell nine times.

"Oops, it's nine. Daddy usually takes me home at this time. So, Seifer," I offered him a handshake and said, "friends?"

He looked my hand, then to me, and finally received the handshake.

"Why not?" he said.

I grinned again and changed our handshake to a pinky shake.

"Promise that we'll meet again!" I said.

Seifer seemed disbelief seeing my pinky and his pinky tied together like that.

"What? Coz you're a boy, you won't do a pinky promise?" fast I asked him, protesting the look he got on his face.

But he smiled and shook his head.

"It's a promise," with a smile he said it and lifted our pinky in front of our face.

I'm relieved to hear it.

I really do want to meet him again.

We returned downstairs to the ballroom. As I suspected, Daddy was looking for me.

"Rinoa, Seifer didn't do anything that frightening you, did he?" Sir Almasy asked while looking at Seifer who just smiled to hear it.

"Actually, Sir Almasy," smiling, I looked at Seifer, then answered Sir Almasy with, "Seifer showed me how excellent his sword skill is. Like Daddy said, Seifer was a really strong boy."

Sir Almasy smiled in relief hearing me. Looked like Seifer had scared off some girls pretty good. I giggled slightly imagining it.

"Sword skill? Seifer wanted to be a sword master?" Daddy asked Sir Almasy, became interested after hearing me.

"I wanted to be a gunblade specialist, General," Seifer was the one who answered him.

"Gunblade? I'm impressed. It's not easy to handle that weapon. Have you gotten the training in the Garden yet?" Daddy asked again.

"I just got it last week. Still using a training gunblade and not yet allowed to carry it outside Garden. They told me I would get my own gunblade on the third year if I passed the test, which of course I'll definitely pass it," Seifer answered again with confidence.

Daddy laughed hearing his confident words.

"Good for you, Seifer. We could use someone like you in the army," great, now Daddy became really interested, he completely forgot about my 'return home at nine pm or grounded for life!' curfew and once he forgot about it, he'll began talking wide and long.

"I'm sorry General, but I'm not interested in joining the army."

Good answer, Seifer! That'll stop Daddy from advancing the talk!

"Seifer!" Sir Almasy warned him when he said it. But Daddy stopped him.

"No, Sir Almasy. I like a young man with a determination like him. You have a great man to be your successor," Daddy complimented again.

Sir Almasy once more smiled with a relieved.

"We'll be off then. Thank you for inviting me, Sir Almasy," Daddy shook Sir Almasy's hand with a smile.

"Seifer," he then patted Seifer's shoulder, "I know you'll grow as a great man. Good luck."

Seifer just nodded.

I bowed to Sir Almasy and said my goodbye. Then when I looked at Seifer, I felt I wanna tease him a little, so I gave him a kiss on his cheek.

"See you again, Seifer," I said with a wink.

Seifer definitely surprised with my actions. So did Daddy and Sir Almasy.

"Ahaha, looked like our two family will get along just fine, General," Sir Almasy said it in his laugh.

Leaving the party, I didn't see any blush appeared on Seifer's face because of my kiss. He just smiled. The same strong smile he gave me the first time.

He really was a strong boy to be admired of.

I walked slowly to make sure I don't make any noise. Peeping to the window, I don't see anyone in the hall. I'm safe!

Hurry I jumped from the roof to the tree branch next to the window and climbed down from there.

Escaping the house again.

Little Angelo barked happily to see me passed by his dog house.

"Shh, calm down, Angelo. They might catch us!" I told him before picked him up and left the house with him.

Angelo was a puppy I just got from Daddy as my holiday gift. I always wanted a pet so I happily accepted the cute little thing.

"Hey, Rinoa!" Zone called me once he saw me walking down the street with Angelo beside me.

"Zone! What are you doing here? Does your Momma leave you behind for being bad?" approaching the boy, I teased him.

He poked my back as hard as he can, making me ouch-ing between my laugh. "Of course not, silly! We were supposed to returning back to Timber this morning but Momma said something comes up so she canceled the trip home. Maybe not until tomorrow before we can go back to Timber," he said.

I just nodded with a smile hearing his explanation.

Looking around, I saw Angelo busy chasing a bug on the grasses.

"I don't know you had a dog," Zone commented seeing Angelo.

Smiling, I replied, "Just got him yesterday from Daddy. Isn't he cute?" I told him with excitement. Zone smiled widely seeing me.

"So, what are you planning to do now, Rinoa?" he then asked with a smile.

I giggled. "You're the one who usually had some mischievous plan, why do you ask me?" I asked him back, hitting his arm lightly with my elbow.

"Well, I am the genius between us," he laughed after praising himself, "but right now I just blanked. So," he then grabbed my shoulders, "this time it's your call, Rinoa."

I laughed seeing him.

Zone was a friend I met not long ago. He originally from Timber and only came to Deling when his Momma told him to come along. He actually didn't like it to go back and forth between Timber and Deling since his Momma didn't have a car and they have to go by train while he was train sick. But since we became friends, Zone ignored his train sick and always volunteered himself to come along with his Momma so we can meet each other again.

He was a really nice kid.

"If only Watts is here also," he then mumbled to himself. Squatting down next to the lamp post.

I squatted beside him. "Who's Watts?" I asked him.

"My best friend in Timber. He never went here and you never went to Timber so I guess you two won't know each other," he replied.

I hit his arm with my elbow again.

"That's an of course, you silly!" I said, laughing to hear his words.

He laughed too.

"Where were you yesterday, Rinoa? I didn't see you all day long," then he asked after our laugh.

I sighed. "Following Daddy around. Since it's holiday week, a lotta party invitation came and I have to follow him the whole week attending each one of it," I answered him lazily.

Zone nodded to hear me.

"That's too bad. I was going to give you a holiday gift, but since you weren't here…," Zone waved a small box wrapped with green paper and red ribbon he pulled out from his short's pocket.

"Oh, no. I can't receive the gift today?" I pretended to be sorry to hear him.

Zone laughed. "Well, since you've begged," he handed me the present after I gave him a whack on the back of his head.

Joyously I opened the present to found a tiny dog doll key ring inside.

"Ooh, this is really cute! Thank you, Zone!" hugging him, I thanked.

Zone just smiled before showing his hand palm to me.

"What?" I asked seeing him did that.

He sighed to hear me and replied, "Nothing."

I laughed again seeing him and pulled out something from my pocket.

"Just kidding, Zone! Happy holiday!" smiling, I handed him the present I've prepared for him. He happily accepted it and quickly opened it.

"Awesome! A new set of Triple triad cards! I haven't got this card! Oh, I will add this one to my deck! Hey, I don't know there's a card with this type!" that Triple triad maniac began constructing his deck after opening the Triple triad card I gave him. I can only chuckled to see the boy.

"So there's nothing interesting happened to you too, huh? It's kinda boring," Zone said while choosing the cards he wanted to use for his deck.

Thinking for a while, I smiled.

"Actually, I met an 'interesting' guy," I said. He turned his attention from his cards to me.

"Really? What do you mean 'interesting'?"

"Well, his name was Seifer Almasy, the son of Daddy's friend, Sir Almasy. He was a year older than us. We met on this party at his place. But I never met a kid around our age that can use a sword as good as he was. And he got this attitude… strong, confident, and… brave! He's not mean though, he was nice too. You know how boys like to say weird things about girls' habits, but he didn't mind having a pinky promise with me! Seifer was -"

"Someone's in loooovvvveeee…," Zone cut my words with a tease.

I quickly poked his back hard.

"I am not!" but Zone was laughing.

"You're blushing now Rinoa," he teased again.

I poked him once more, still saying, "Am not!" but laughing also with him.

"Honestly, I did admire him. I don't imagining wanna be his bride after we're adults or something like that, but I do admired Seifer a lot. You don't oftenly meet a lotta boys like him, you know," I told Zone after satisfied poking him around a dozen times.

Zone scrubbed his aching back and asked, "So he was like your hero or something?"

I laughed to hear him. "Maybe, I don't know. Someday I'll introduce him to you and you'll know what I mean!"

Zone just nodded and smiled.

Then I saw Angelo ran toward me with something in his mouth.

"Look, Angelo caught a frog!" I said, releasing the frog from Angelo's mouth. Angelo barked and wagged his tail seeing me playing with the frog. Maybe he's happy I liked what he gave me.

"Zone! There you are!" Zone's Momma suddenly showed up.

"Oh, you're with Rinoa again, huh? Is that a frog in your hand, Rinoa?" she asked when arriving near us.

"Yeah, isn't it cute?" I showed the frog to her but the frog suddenly jumped away from my palm and returned back to the bushes. Instantly Angelo barked and tried to chase it again. Zone's Momma laughed to see Angelo got confused by the frog's jumping around.

"You got a dog?" she asked again.

Nodding, I answered, "Daddy just gave me."

"Well, Zone, I need your help with some stuffs. You don't mind I borrow him for a while, do you Rinoa?" I laughed to hear her.

"Not at all, Aunty."

Zone and his Momma then left.

"Angelo, come here boy," I called him. He looked at me, then to the frog that has officially escaped him and then barked toward the frog before running back to me, wagging his tail everywhere.

"We're going home now, Angelo. Daddy told me he'll return home early today, so we can't play outside too long. Okay, Angelo?"

Angelo barked hearing me so I know he understood.

"I race you home, Angelo!" I challenged him and ran along the street toward my house. Barking, Angelo running to chase me.

I got home before Daddy.

"Safe!"

Giggling, I continued to play with Angelo in my room.

"Who's the smart dog?" Angelo barked right after I said it, as if he wanted to reply, "I'm the smart dog!"

I laughed seeing him. But I know he really was a smart dog. I better teach him some tricks soon.

Thinking about that, I'm planning to take Angelo to the park to teach him the tricks there.

"Daddy, I wanna take Angelo for a walk in the park. Is it okay?" I asked him.

He was busy reading some documents on his desk when I entered his room. Daddy turned his face to me and answered, "Don't be too long, Rinoa."

"I won't. Thanks, Daddy!" I kissed her cheek before went out.

"Come on, Angelo," Angelo was busy chasing his own tail when I told him that. He stopped his 'activity' and then followed me out of the house.

At the park, I stopped near the children playground. Looked like this is a good spot. I squatted before Angelo, ready to teach him.

"Okay, Angelo, now I'll teach you some stuffs. Um, the easiest one first! Sit!" Angelo looked at me for a few seconds before jumping toward me and licked my face.

"Ahaha, no, not licking me, Angelo, sit! Hihihi, stop it, Angelo," got tickled by his tongue, my laugh burst.

I put him back down to the ground, still half laughing.

"Angelo, sit," I told him again, this time I manually set up his legs to a sitting position.

"Yeah, that's right. That's sit," after he was really in a sitting position, I commented him, coding him not to move.

Angelo stood still in that position for a few seconds.

"Good boy! Good boy, Angelo!" happily I lifted the little thing and hugged him joyously. Angelo barked, as if he's happy too.

Then I put him back down again. Angelo went circling me, wagging his tail happily. Maybe he thought we were playing some game.

"Okay, let's try this without my help, Angelo. Sit!"

Angelo stopped circling and stood on a sitting position.

"Alright! Angelo is the smartest dog in this whole wide world! I'm gonna treat you a big slice of steak once we're home! You like steak, don't you Angelo?" I said, hugging him again with a big smile.

Barking, I think Angelo just told me how much he loved steak.

"Okay, the next trick will be easy once you know 'sit', Angelo. This is called 'shake hand'. It's like this," I lifted his right front leg and shook it with my right hand, "See? It's really easy."

I put back Angelo's leg and sit before him. Handing my right hand to him as previous.

"Now, Angelo, shake hand," I told him. But the puppy barked and licked my hand like a lollypop.

"No, no, you silly pup. Shake hand," laughing, once more I manually lifted his right front leg and place it on my hand, "like this, Angelo."

I put his leg back, again, and repeated my order. On the third try, Angelo finally learnt the trick.

"Excellent! I know you'll be able to do it, smart guy!" I patted his head happily. He barked twice with a smiling face. Yep, definitely a smiling face.

"Now, the last trick is a bit difficult, Angelo. Ung, how am I supposed to teach you how to do it? It's called 'rollover' and what you do is," I made Angelo lying on the ground with his tummy facing up, "yes, roll your body like this. Maybe you should do it after I told you to sit, it might be easier," I said to him, trying to find the best way for Angelo to learn how to rollover.

Standing up, I nodded to myself.

"Let's give it a try now, Angelo. Angelo, sit," and Angelo sit.

"Good! Now, rollover!" and Angelo barked.

"No, not bark, rollover, Angelo," and he barked again.

"Hmm, looked like it's kinda hard for you to understand that one, huh? Maybe I should give you an example myself."

"Watch me, Angelo," I sit on the same position as him and then rolled my body down the grass.

"See, like that, Angelo!" I said again, still lying on the ground.

That's when I saw a shoe near my head. Someone's standing right before my head.

Looking up to that person's face, I can't believe my eyes.

Before I can say or do anything, he squatted and patted my head a couple of times, saying, "Aren't you a smart doggy to do rollover like that."

"Seifer!" getting up, I quickly protested him for addressing me as the dog.

Seifer laughed hard seeing the angry me. He even fell sat to the ground because of the laughing.

"Sorry, but you do look funny rolling over like that, Rinoa," he said between his laugh.

"I was teaching Angelo how to do the rollover trick!" defending myself, I could feel my face had gone completely red, embarrassed to know Seifer watched me doing that.

But Seifer kept on laughing. Angelo was barking too, as if agreeing Seifer.

"Angelo, this is all your fault!" I protested Angelo, grabbing his cheek and pulled it left and right. But Angelo kept on barking with a happy tone.

I gave up.

I sat on the grass, back facing the two. Ignoring them.

"I'm sorry, Rinoa. Really! Angelo, say you're sorry!" Seifer said, still with a slight laugh. I can hear Angelo's bark was the same as Seifer's voice tone.

I glanced at them. Seifer was still smiling and Angelo was still looking at me with a happy face.

The next second, I began to laugh also.

"I was really funny, wasn't I?" I asked after the laugh, then continued, "But really Seifer, how do you teach a dog to learn rollover? Angelo can learn sit and shake hand pretty fast, but I can't get him to rollover."

Seifer smiled hearing me.

"I never had a dog before," he said, "so I'm not really sure about it either. I guess he'll eventually learn it if you keep teaching him."

Seemed Angelo was enjoying how Seifer was brushing his back.

"Looked like Angelo liked you," I commented seeing them.

Seifer smiled. "I think it's more to afraid of me than liking me. Most people felt like that toward me," he replied, still smiling. There's this weird tone on his voice when he said it.

But I shook my head, disagreeing Seifer.

"Nope, I'm sure Angelo liked you. Angelo is the bravest puppy in the world, he won't get scared just by a guy like you," I told him full of pride toward my Angelo.

Seifer laughed when he heard it.

"Yeah, right. Whatever you say, Rinoa-the-rollover-master," he quickly replied with a tease.

I poked his back in protest but Seifer just laughed receiving the poke.

"By the way, what are you doing here?" I asked.

Seifer shrugged. "Just finishing my off. I'll be back to Garden tomorrow morning."

"Wait, you guys keep talking about it, but I don't understand at all about this whole 'Garden' stuff. What do you mean with 'Garden' anyway? Are you studying to be a florist or something?"

Seifer laughed really hard that instant.

"Me? A florist?" and he laughed once more. Still as hard, he even literally fell to the ground and lying there, keep on laughing.

Fast, I slapped his arm as a complaint for his laugh. "Seifer, I mean it! I really don't know what's a Garden and why are you being a cadet there! You shouldn't laugh at a girl who didn't know about something, you should've explained it to her!" I complained.

Decreasing his laugh, Seifer sit back on the grass again.

"Rinoa, 'Garden' was a school, well, a Military Academy to be exact," he said, holding some giggle he hasn't finished.

I was a bit surprised hearing him.

"But didn't you tell Daddy you're not interested in joining the army?" I asked.

"Well, SeeDs and army do have some similarities," he mumbled after his laugh had totally stopped.

"SeeDs?" I asked again.

Seifer nodded. "Garden's graduates referred as SeeDs. Besides, what I mean was I'm not interested in joining a government army. Being a member of the SeeD army was a lot better," he explained.

I slanted my head to my left. "Why being a SeeD is better than a regular soldier?" again, I asked him.

"Coz you can only join the army when you're eighteen, yet you can be a SeeD as early as when you've reached sixteen," Seifer answered with a smile.

My eyes popped out, I think, hearing his answer.

"Graduated at sixteen? But, that's so young! Becoming a soldier since you're a kid?" surprised, I asked some more.

Seifer laughed mildly.

"Don't take it wrong, Rinoa. A seventeen-year old SeeD was stronger and better than a twenty-four-year old soldier. We got special lessons and trained a lot harder than any other soldier in this world. That's why even as teenagers, no one will look down to the SeeDs."

I can sense a feeling of proud on his words.

I guess Seifer really wanted to be a SeeD.

"You really wanted to be a SeeD, huh?" hitting his arm with my elbow, I asked him that.

But Seifer shook his head.

"Not really. I just wanted to master a gunblade and to be strong as fast as possible. If by being a SeeD I can achieve that faster than by being a soldier, then I'll be a SeeD. That's all," he calmly replied.

I moved and looked into his eyes with my face and his' were only about ten centimeters away.

"W-what?" he asked in surprised seeing I suddenly watched him up-close-and-personal like that.

Then I moved back again and smiled sweetly.

"Nothing. I just wanna see how serious you were when you said it. Seemed you're telling me the truth," I said.

Seifer tapped my forehead, making me made an ouch sound.

"You're silly, you know that?" he grumbled. But I just laughed.

Suddenly the park's clock tower rang its bells five times. Meaning it's exactly five o-clock now.

"Oh no! Seifer, I gotta go home now. I promised Daddy I won't be long taking Angelo for a walk. Wanna come to the house? I'm sure Daddy will love to have another talk with you," standing up in a hurry, I offered him.

Seifer stood up also, dusting his jacket and pants from the dirt and grasses that stick there.

"No, thanks. I wanna stroll around the city," he tenderly refused my offer.

I just nodded with a smile before grabbed his hand and tied our pinkies together again.

"Promise we'll meet again?" smiling, I asked him.

Seifer laughed, looking at our pinkies before his face.

"We've made that promise, Rinoa," he replied.

"Yeah, but we've meet now, meaning that earlier promise had been fulfilled. Now we make a new promise so we can meet again in the future," I said.

Once more he laughed.

"Okay, how about this, promise we'll always meet again whenever we have the chance. That way we don't have to do this over and over," he suggested.

I nodded.

"You're a genius!" my comment made him laughed again, "Okay, so, promise we'll always meet again whenever we have the chance?"

Seifer nodded and replied, "It's a promise," with a smile.

Running out of the park, I just remembered something.

"Seifer, I forgot, here," running over back to Seifer and pulled out a small box wrapped with red gift-wrap from my pocket and handed it to him.

"What's this?" receiving it, he asked in confused.

I smiled and answered, "A holiday gift, of course! Just a deck of Triple triad cards coz I honestly can't afford to buy anything else, but boys like to receive Triple triad cards, right? Well, a male friend of mine likes it at least. If you don't like it or if you don't play Triple triad, just give it back."

Seifer smiled also.

"It's okay, I played Triple triad a bit. Thanks. But I don't bring anything for you," he replied.

I'm just relieved he's willing to accept it.

"Don't worry, I just like to giveaway gifts to my friends. Besides, I think there's a box in my room that had 'Almasy' as the sender," I said, remembering the pile of presents from friends and relatives in my closet.

Seifer laughed a little.

"Most probably that's from my Father. I don't send out or giveaway gifts," fast he replied me.

I laughed too. "Why didn't you give gifts, Seifer? It IS holiday you know," asking him, I bent a little toward him.

He smiled. "Never had the reason to," easily he replied with that sentence. Then pulling out a card from the deck I just gave him.

"Here, my gift for you," he said, handing me a T-Rexaur card he just pulled out.

"But this is my gift for you!" I complained.

"Yeah, but you've gave it to me so it's mine. Now I gave you what was mine so that's considered as a gift from me," grinning, Seifer insisted.

I laughed again.

"No fair! But I guess the thought that counted, so, thank you, Seifer," smiling I received the card and put it inside my pocket.

"See you again, Seifer! Angelo, say 'see you again' to Seifer!" Angelo barked after I told him that. Seifer just smiled hearing us.

I waved goodbye to Seifer one last time before making a turn on the street and run straight toward my house with Angelo right next to me.

I'm really glad I can meet Seifer again.

I wonder what Zone is doing right now?

Sighing, I turned my position around in bed. Looking at the desk next to my bed, I saw the T-Rexaur card Seifer gave me leaning by the table lamp.

I wonder what Seifer is doing right now?

Seifer have returned to Balamb. Maybe he's training his gunblade moves right now.

Sighing again, I saw Angelo sleeping quietly in his dog bed beside my bed. I've asked Daddy to let Angelo stay in my room instead of in the dog house outside. He minded with it at first but he finally agreed after I begged him a couple of times.

But even with Angelo close to me, I still felt bored since I can't think of anything to do with him. Maybe I should take him to the park again and teach him the rollover trick once more?

Gazing at the view outside from the window, I instantly lost my mood to take him to the park. It's a VERY hot day today. Even Angelo might feel it's too hot for him to learn anything and resulting we both just sleeping on the grass under a shadow of a tree.

I sighed again with that thought.

Then I looked to the dressing table in front of my bed. Looking at Mommy's framed-photo I put there.

"Julia was the best singer in the world, Rinoa," Daddy always told me.

I remembered how Mommy always sang my lullaby beautifully. Mommy did have a beautiful voice. If only she hadn't passed away when I was little, I might still be able to hear her singing.

Remembering another thing, I got up from my bed and opened a drawer inside my cabinet. Found the CD I was looking for. 'Eyes on Me' by 'Julia Heartilly'. Put it on the CD player and turned it on. A song played.

"Whenever sang my songs, on this stage, on my own…," slowly I began singing along the lyrics. I liked the song so much, I've memorized the lyrics just by hearing it over and over.

'Eyes on Me' was Mommy's first song, Daddy said. It was a beautiful song. A very romantic song. And Mommy created the music and the lyrics herself too. Once, she played the song for Daddy and me with the grand piano in the living room. It sounded just as beautiful. I guess not only she had a great voice, she's also a great pianist.

Everytime I heard the song, it always made me wondered about some stuffs. Like, who will be the man that will have his eyes on me? Or, who will be the man that I'll have my eyes on to?

Who will be that someone special for me?

"Guk!"

Angelo's bark awakens me. It seemed I was half asleep while listening to the song. I looked to the digital alarm clock next to Seifer's card to see what time it was.

"What is it, Angelo? Are you hungry?" getting up from my bed, I turned off the CD player and approached him. Angelo just wagged his tail hearing me.

"Well, it's around eleven thirty, so I guess we can have a slight early lunch," smiling, I told him. Since Angelo barked again, I'll take that as a 'yes, I wanna have my lunch' as Angelo's answer.

"Come on, Angelo," opening the door, I called him. He quickly got up and followed me walking out of the room.

"Timber's Independency From Deling," that sentence stopped my way toward the dining room. There was a newspaper on the living room with that headline.

Zone was from Timber, right?

I took the paper and began reading it on the couch. The summary of the story: Timber now under the control of Deling but the citizens of Timber wishes for Timber to be an independent country.

Deling, this city and country where I live in was named after the man who built it. President Vinzar Deling.

"Throw that trash away, Rinoa," out of a sudden Daddy appeared.

"I'm still reading the paper, Daddy. Besides, it's today's newspaper, it hadn't become a trash yet," I replied without looking at him.

But Daddy grabbed the paper from my hand, smashed it with his hands and threw the wrecked paper to the bin.

"Daddy!" I protested.

"You shouldn't be reading something like that, Rinoa. It's just nonsense," he said, leaving the room.

But I got up and chased him. Even Angelo barked at Daddy when I blocked Daddy's way. I know Angelo would feel how I feel.

"Wait, Daddy. Which part of that newspaper you considered as trash? Which news you called as nonsense?" I asked, staring him straight into his eyes.

Daddy sighed slightly, still lifting his head up high with his usual pride as an army man.

"The headline, of course. I mean, freeing from Deling? That's nonsense, Rinoa," he answered calmly.

"What's wrong with wishing for independence, Daddy? If you are under the control of someone else against your own will, wouldn't you strive for your independence as well?" I replied him fast.

"But Timber belongs to Deling, Rinoa. As the General of the army, I will do whatever I can to make sure it stays that way," Daddy's voice tone was rising.

I stood up closer to him.

"Nobody belongs to nobody unless that somebody wished that way! I mean, you didn't force Mommy to marry you, right? She was yours because she wanted to be yours! It's the same with everything else in this world, Daddy!"

Daddy stared me sharply. Angry.

"Rinoa, don't go saying as if my marriage can be identified with Deling and Timber's relation!"

"But running a household and running a country was just the same, Daddy. The only difference was a country had a larger scale. You have to think about how to support the member of the family, just like you have to think about how to support a country's citizens. You have to think about how you can make your family member to be happy, just like you have to think about how you can make your country citizens to be happy. I was born out of love between you and Mommy but nothing will be born out of hatred between Deling and Timber!"

Daddy sighed again.

"That sounded as a romantic dream to me, Rinoa. In the real life, nothing was that easy about running a country. You're dreaming a lot, just like your mother."

I glanced at him right when he mentioned Mommy. "Maybe it wasn't actually just a dream for Mommy and me, Daddy. Maybe it's just because you're too stubborn to hear any of us," I promptly said it.

We stared at each other fiercely.

That's when the phone in Daddy's room rang. Without saying anything to me, he turned around and entered his room. The second after he closed the door, I heard him talking to someone on the phone.

"Guk!"

Angelo's bark once more awoke me from my anger.

I can't believe Daddy was too stone headed like that! I know he's a soldier, but does that mean a soldier can't have his own thought? Does a soldier can't have feelings? A soldier was a human also, so why can't a soldier acted as a human as well?

Seifer, I hope a SeeD was really not the same as a soldier.

I hope you will never be like Daddy.

It's been a week since the headline about Timber's wish to be independent came out, but I'm still not talking to Daddy. It seemed he too still didn't want to talk to me. Maybe he's waiting for me to apologize.

Sorry, Daddy, but I won't ever apologize!

Opening my study panel, I found a new e-mail in my inbox. From Seifer. Reading the 'Re:' before the subject, I know it's his reply for the e-mail I sent him yesterday about my fight with Daddy.

"General Caraway's words about 'romantic dream' reminded me of something Rudy told me a couple of years ago. You still remember Rudy, right? He said, a romantic dream is not an impossible dream. It's just a dream that's really hard to get. But if you keep on fighting for it, you'll eventually achieve that dream. And nothing in this world can match the happiness of being able to achieve a 'romantic dream'. What someone has to do to achieve a dream is just to ignore what others thought or said about it and just keep on fighting for it with all you got. If Timber's romantic dream is to be independent from Deling, then if they keep fighting for it, sooner or later they will get that independence. And you too will know how happy they would be, for that happiness will spread out like a storm, unstoppable and unmatchable."

Once more I admired Seifer.

He's right. He was totally really truly right.

Timber didn't have to think about what its surrounding thought or said about their dream. They just have to fighting it nonstop and eventually they'll reach that dream. They'll be independent.

I remembered an e-mail I got from Zone a couple of days ago after I also told him about my thoughts toward Timber's independence. In his e-mail Zone told me that at this very moment a resistant army is slowly formed. A small group of teenagers that shared the same dream of independence for Timber. They were struggling for a big dream. Doing all they can do to achieve that dream.

Even from another e-mail I got from Watts, Zone's friend he told me some time ago, Watts mentioned that eventhough Zone was still a kid like us but he was said as the mastermind of the resistant group.

Both of us agreed that Zone really IS a genius.

Reading all those e-mails, I began thinking. I didn't have a dream. I don't know what I wanted to be growing up. Yet Seifer had his dream. And Zone and Watts too.

What's my dream?

After thinking about that for some minutes, I smiled, confirmed with my decision.

Writing an e-mail to Zone, I told him my plan to join them as a member of the 'Forest Owl's Resistant Group.

Right now, I may not have a dream yet, but for the moment, I just gonna help Timber to achieve their dream. Who knows, maybe in the future, their dream will become my dream also.

All I wanted to do right now is to do what I think is the right thing to do.

Continuing my e-mail to Zone, I told him that I know I'm still a kid and can't go to Timber to join them physically yet, but I can help them to be a spy here in Deling, right? And having a General as my Daddy, I can give them some of Deling's military info. I also asked Zone not to tell his friends that I'm General Caraway's daughter since it could made me easier to be caught. I asked Zone to mention my name as….

I paused my fingers from typing on that part. Um, what name should I use?

"Guk-guk!" Angelo suddenly barked when the radio played an instrumental version of 'Eyes on Me'. The song was still popular.

Oh, yeah.

I began to continue writing the e-mail and typed a combination of my name and Mommy's maiden name on the paused sentence.

Rinoa Heartilly.

* * * * * * * * * * F I N * * * * * * * * * *


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